Lessons Learned
by Human Pikachu
Summary: Oh, it wasn't bad enough that he had to go on this–he forced himself to think the word–"date" with that swan anyway. Wasn't bad enough that he had to spend the day with her, no doubt at the insane amusement of the other Legendaries. -CresseliaXDarkrai- (Back after hiatus... and back better than ever)
1. First Date :1:

**I cannot believe I am actually writing this…but, finally, I got around to it, Pikky! XD**

**For this who don't know who I am, hello, I am the Human Pikachu, your average writer! This isn't the first Legendary shipping story I've written, but the other one sucked and was deleted, and this one is going to be funner to write! **

**I kind of think some the appeal of this story is to show everybody here I haven't died. I have been extremely busy, as usual. School is unrelentingly giving a huge stream of homework – though I'm not complaining, I want to succeed! The Romeo and Juliet play was just recently finished, and although I have more free time now, I really miss it. I'm going to try out for the musical this semester, too, however bad idea that might be.**

**Huh, I better say this before I start. I will be using other people's characters in this story, as the people come from the Legends Hollow RP (which recently died, I think…so sad). I know some characters may be out of personality, but I can't change how I'm going to write the story. I know pretty much exactly what's going to happen and what characters are going to do what. So if used characters do not have their perfect disposition, I'm very sorry, especially to you, ESP. :P **

**The song 'Lessons Learned', hence the title, was written by Carrie Underwood, not me.**

* * *

**Lessons Learned**

* * *

**Chapter One**

**The Deal**

* * *

It was a calm, ordinary afternoon in the beautiful Sinnoh region. The northern area had another snowfall, children running out of their homes and having snowball fights. The eastern side of the continent, it was bright and sunny, and yet another hopeful champion was defeated by the Elite Four. The western side of the island was foggy, as usual for the townspeople there. A small snowfall gently covered the Coronet mountain tops. People were going to work smiling, and both trainers and Pokémon were out training their hardest in the hopes of one day becoming the best of the best.

Yes, in Sinnoh, it was an ordinary day.

However…it was _not_ an ordinary day at the Hall of Origin.

And how would someone like me know that?

…because nothing had been blown up yet.

You heard me correctly; it was an off-day when a pair among the Legendaries _wasn't_ fighting, when some punishment _wasn't_ being doled out to someone. They're _supposed_ to be good role models; however, when they're all together, the stupidest arguments begin. Like, who put this there without asking, who ate this person's pie, who pulled this prank on this legendary, who threw the refrigerator off the mountain again – you get the idea.

And, oddly enough, today was all peace and qui-

"_Excuse_ me? _I'm_ a workaholic?"

Okay, maybe not. Maybe it _was _an ordinary after all.

* * *

As of now, most of the Legendaries were gathered for no particular reason in the main hall, which most of them did in all of the free time they had (gained by skipping work). They lazed about on couches mostly, except for the Azelf, Uxie, Phione, Darkrai, and mini Giratina who were playing a game of Monopoly on the floor. If you're curious, the Giratina was winning, though the Darkrai was in vain attempting to cheat.

Unusual, however, was the presence of the lunar swan known as Cresselia in the Main Hall, as she was so often out doing her work. And it was a bit unfortunate that in the first time she had been there in quite a while, that _someone_ had to make _another_ comment about her work.

"Knock it into your _thick skull_, Brendon, that _just because_ I work harder than everyone else here," The Cresselia was saying heatedly to the Manaphy lounging on the couch. "Does NOT mean I'm a workaholic, thank you!"

Brendon, the Legendary nickname for Manaphy, scoffed and set down his copy of the latest issue of _Sinnoh Fashion_. "It's obvious by the very way you _dress_, Miss Swan."

"Excuse _me_? How do _clothes _tell you how hard you work or not?" The Legendary said impatiently, much to the disapproval of the surrounding Legendaries.

"It's easy to tell." Brendon said simply. "You just compare it to what _you_ wear."

"_Please,_ Brendon, _don't_ torture her today." The Uxie said as he moved his piece on the game board. "Don't we get enough of that from Hekiashi?"

"It's fun to torture her." A voice volunteered.

"Shut up, Hekiashi." Several other people chorused together.

"Oh, _please_! We don't even wear clothes!" Luna said exasperatedly. "Except for you, and all you wear is that stupid little business suit-thing! What's so great about fashion to people who don't even wear clothes anyway?"

Brendon glared at her. "That's what the human world thrives on, Luna. It's what they live for." He said as if speaking to a little child. "They _all_ need to look good, especially us, we set an example for the rest of the world. Fashion is how others judge you, how you get jobs, and dates – which, obviously, _you _don't get much of - and bragging rights, and everything else. And _you_ happen to dress horribly." He picked his magazine back up and started to read it again.

"Yeah righ - This isn't even on topic!" She snapped. "Maybe, before _you _all start calling _me _a workaholic, you actually _try_ to do some work _for once_, and _you_ see how hard it is! A word of warning to everybody!" And with that, she stormed over the round table at the back of the Hall and sat down on the scarlet cushions, fuming.

She didn't even hear a certain ghost get up and float towards her.

"You know what _I_ think, Luna?" A deeper voice whispered, sliding- as far as a phantom can slide, anyway-into the chair across from her. "I think _you_ are a workaholic."

The Cresselia sighed, tilting her head to look at her counterpart.

"Did I really _want_ to know what you thought, Hekiashi?" She asked mildly.

"You should, Luna."

"And since when have you had anything worth me listening to?" Luna tilted her crescent head as she looked at him, a smile playing on her lips.

"Since now."

She had to give up there. "Okay then, my good Sir Wisdom," Luna rested on the cushion, one eyebrow raised. "Tell me what is so worth listening to. What is so urgent that I need to hear it?"

"You have some very, very serious problems." He said, battling with himself not to laugh. "It's not _normal_ for someone to work so hard every second of the day, you know. The world doesn't need you every second of the day. So…" He shrugged his black shoulders. "That's why I've come to help you."

Luna snorted. "Oh, so I need help now, is _that_ it?"

Hekiashi paused.

"I'd rather not answer that question, Luna."

"Please, don't you provoke her today, Hekiashi, just get to the point. Let's not have anything blown up again." Groudon sighed as he flipped the pages of his book.

"Hey! Stop eavesdropping on our conversation!" Luna said indignantly, glancing back at them.

"It's a bit hard not to eavesdrop when you two talk loudly in a room that's silent and full of people." The Azelf commented as he handed play money over to the Giratina.

"But really, Luna," Hekiashi continued in a matter-of-factly tone as she turned around again. "When was the last time you spent some time _not _working? A thousand years ago? Two?"

When her expression remained stony, he grinned.

"See? What did I tell you? You _need_ help, and I can provide that. You _need_ a day out."

Luna's brow furrowed, but her expression quickly smoothed itself out. "And what exactly do you mean by 'a day out', oh Wise One?" She asked him curiously.

"Well, that's simple." He said, calmly now, his claws folded before him. "Obviously, not here – what's great here? Nothing, pretty much - but in the human world. Disguise yourself as a human, which, if I remember correctly, you've done before-" The color of the swan's cheeks darkened, and she opened her mouth to protest. "You would just stay there for an afternoon or so," He cut her off. "Actually relax, hang out, do _fun _things for once - do you even know the meaning of that word? I wonder - and since being a Legendary Pokémon seems to attract certain trouble… I would come with you."

Luna paused for a moment, and then, very slowly, a triumphant grin spread across her face.

"Could you possibly be asking _me_ on a _date_, Hekiashi?"

Hekiashi's eye twitched, but he stopped just before she could notice it. He knew before he spoke she wasn't going to give it up. "Well, does that mean you're accepting?" He countered in return, raising both eyebrows.

"Is it going to be a date?" She pestered further.

"Does that mean you accept?" He asked simply in response.

"Is it going to be a date?"

"Does that mean you accept?"

"Is it going to be a date?"

"Does that mean you accept?"

"Is it-"

"Arceus, it _possible _for you two to _not _argue about something impossibly stupid?" sighed a high voice over in the direction of the couch. A small, pink cat-like head popped up to glower at them both. "I can't even hear myself think! Do you guys _know_ how annoying the two of you are?"

The Cresselia and Darkrai glanced at each other.

"Yes."

The Mew, who was called Wish, rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, then. You two act like children, I'll treat you as such. I'm officially your spokesperson now, Luna. It's harder for him to argue with me." Mew said coolly, turning her head to look at the Darkrai. "Yes, Hekiashi, she would love to come." The feline completely ignored the glares the lunar swan was now giving her. "I speak on her behalf when I say it would be nice to spend some time together. Maybe it would be good for the two of you to do something together _other _than trying to annoy each other constantly."

Hekiashi turned to look at the cat.

"Tomorrow at nine, then?" He asked, trying to suppress his snickering.

"At nine, then. She'll be there." The cat raised her eyebrows at the swan, who now looked mortified. "Yes, you _will_ be there." She said threateningly. "Yes, you will. I might actually have a chance of having a few hours to myself, so you skip it over my dead body."

Luna sighed in defeat.

"That could be arranged." She muttered under her breath.

"Just try it, Luna." Wish challenged as she took her book and lay back on the couch. "_Bring it on_, lunar swan."

Luna rolled her eyes as she lifted up from the chair again.

"So I'll be seeing you tomorrow?" Hekiashi didn't even bother _attempting_ to keep the grin off his face now.

"Whatever." She muttered to herself.

One of his nonexistent eyebrows shot up and, with a small smile now, he leaned across the table. "Five bucks you're not going to last the first five minutes."

_What?_ He was saying she was so weak she couldn't spend _five minutes_ with him without running away? Right. She would prove that hypothesis was _woefully, woefully_ wrong. "You are so on." She said in a low voice, and no one but him could hear her.

"See you tomorrow, then, Luna." Hekiashi smirked, his mind already calculating the usual incessantly evil plots to torment her.

"It's a bet – I mean, it's all set!" Luna said, grinning to herself for the same reasons Hekiashi was.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!" The Giratina cheered as soon as they nodded to each other, jumping into the air and doing back flips in the air all around the room.

"I thought we told you all not to eavesdrop!" Luna and Hekiashi said in unison, both cross.

"She wasn't cheering about your conversation; she was cheering because she won the flipping Monopoly game." The Phione said, shrugging. "But congrats on the date, dude."

"It's _not_ a da-" Hekiashi protested once again, but then paused. "Wait, Rantai won the game?" He asked, and then the three nodded, with the exception of the flipping Giratina. "What did you guys do with my properties?"

The Azelf shrugged. "You were a bit occupied, so we split them between the four of us."

"_Damn_. Mark my words, Tellah, Rantai, Providen and Kyle, I swear to you and the Monopoly game that I WILL _avenge this defeat_!" Hekiashi declared as he turned and floated in the direction of his room.

"Huh..." Tellah said wonderingly.

"What's the matter, Tellah?" Rantai asked, ceasing her mad-flipping to float over to his side.

"Why," Tellah began, staring after the ghost curiously. "When he says that he will avenge his defeat…why do I get a strange vision of…a small pink bucket, haunting us?"

**

* * *

**

Luna (Cresselia), Kyle (Phione), Providen (Uxie) and Brendon (Manaphy) – All mine

**The totally awesome Hekiashi (Darkrai) – EternalShiningPikmin**

**Wish (Mew) – HopeThePixii**

**Tellah (Azelf) – Slazer**

**Rantai (Giratina) - CIAD**

**Thank you all so much for letting me involuntarily use your characters for this chapter! XD**

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_H/P_

* * *


	2. First Date :2:

**Ugh…I still feel sick. ;_;**

**However, since I had school off yesterday, I decided I would work on my story, and somehow managed to write a whole other chapter. Bit odd for me, as I'd been having a bad day, but…still! And why didn't I post this yesterday? I don't exactly know. **

**I'm just talking randomly right now. I've felt weird all day.**

**This chapter probably wasn't as well written as the other one, but that doesn't really matter to me. You guys apparently find more humor in my stories than I do. Weird. Nearly half of this chapter is a word duel, and word duels are fun to write, no? Even if you guys don't think it is a funny as I do…:P I'll admit it, I took the idea for a word duel from Romeo and Juliet…and then I have to intro a new character I'll be using for a while. Her name is Crystal, and if you've read my PMD story....she's basically a human version of Dove. **

**Poor Pikky. You shouldn't have told me you were afriad of her. XD**

**Also, this is a bit random, but on Luna's hair, I based it on Galinda's, from Wicked.**

**

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**

Chapter Two

**The "Bad Beginning" or Whatever**

* * *

[9:22]

* * *

It was 9:22, and Luna was getting annoyed.

_Didn't we agree nine o'clock sharp, Hearthome City Mall?_ She thought exasperatedly, checking her watch. _Just like him to be late, I suppose_. She thought sourly, sitting back down on the edge of the fountain's bars and waiting.

* * *

[9:23]

* * *

Luna glanced at herself in the windows of one of the stores, examining her reflection.

_Too casual?_ She wondered to herself.

She had spent nearly an hour over what clothes she should take; she _hated _making bad impressions (which is odd, considering who she was going with). Finally, she had called Celeste – Celebi – in to help her out, even though that friend wasn't exactly the best choice considering fashion. It took a bit, but the two at last decided how she should look. She was dressed in it now.

Her golden human hair was in tight curls that bounced gently on her shoulders. Her lips, like pink petals, were pursed as she inspected herself. From her ears dangled a pair of silver hoop earrings. She had on a black tank top over a white shirt (which sleeves reached her wrist). In the same shade of black, and looking blended like a dress, was a loose black skirt that flowed to her knees. Her satin slippers were, matching the theme of the outfit, were black, with pointed tips. She would have passed easily for a normal human, if not for her eyes, which were a light shade of violet.

In the reflection of the windows, her focused eyes saw him arrive. Even if she hadn't seen it, she would have felt it.

"Decided to finally show up?"

Hekiashi ignored her comment completely as he walked forward, looked amused at her disdainful expression. The Darkrai, a human for only the second time in his life, had dressed in almost complete black. Black shoes, black pants, everything. His shirt (which was black), however, had three red stripes, which looked like rips from monster claws **(A/N: [And this is the first and last time I will ever do this.] Think the Monster Energy Drink)**, that went from collar to hew. His pure white hair was longer then Luna's, pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His eyes, focused on Luna, were sky blue.

Behind them, the Hearthome City fountain flowed quietly.

Luna pulled herself up to sit on top of the bar, and glanced at his attire. She remembered instantly that there were certain clothes that every Legendary transformed into. He had not changed his. She struggled to refrain from sighing as she asked, "What? Did you forget about it until about five minutes ago?"

Hekiashi struck a pose and flipped his hair in a very non-Hekiashi-like way.

"No, I just decided to be fashionably late."

Luna raised a critical eyebrow. "But Hekiashi, don't you have to be _fashionable_ to be fashionably late?"

"Ouch. That really hurts, Luna." He groaned dramatically and held a hand over his heart, like if she had wounded him there. "You've got a sharp tongue, swan."

Luna rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. "If that was the case," She corrected with a small smile, pulling herself to a standing position on the bars. "I would simply use my tongue - which would be as sharp as any weapon - and use it against my enemies, and as they could use no armor against me, all would fall before me." On top of the fountain rails, Luna flung her arms out wide and twirled in the breeze, the sun glinting off her hair.

She was almost too graceful for life.

Hekiashi was used to the showing-off, though. "And if they have wordproof armor against you, Luna?"

"Armor protects the body, Hekiashi," She countered, pausing and looking down at him. "Not the ears and mind."

"Then what if someone was deaf? They would foil you straight off."

Luna grinned again. "Then I would simply escape, as the foil is not curved on me."

"That's not what I meant." It was his turn to roll his eyes at her. "Being deaf is the same as being wordproof, correct?"

"Excluding the option of sign language, of course," She said with a small shrug. "But if someone was deaf to the world, they would be deaf to the troubles of the world, including its wounds inflicted by my injuring words."

Hekiashi leaned against the rail. "Why are you speaking against the world, Luna?

Luna fluttered her eyes nonchalantly.

"Because the world cursed me with you." She said casually, as if the two of them were discussing the weather.

Hekiashi smirked.

"You mix up the words 'cursed' and 'gifted'."

Luna rolled her eyes again, ignoring him and continuing to glide along the rails. Her perfect balance made some passerby stop and wonder what the heck she was playing at. It particularly attracted the attention of five blonde boys, wearing matching black jackets, in the shadows.

Hekiashi sensed victory and continued. "Well then?" He continued, grinning. "Have I – as the saying goes – cooked your goose?"

Luna continued to pirouette.

"Don't you mean swan?" She said scathingly. "I'm a swan."

"But why would I cook you?" He lifted himself up to sit on the railing. "You would taste – I should say 'no offense', but that would be lying, wouldn't it? – as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword."

It took Luna a moment for a response to that. "You mean," She said slowly. "That I have a bitter mind, and a sharp tongue?"

"Right."

Luna shrugged again as she spoke. "As far as I'm concerned, it's a left, for all I'm left with is my apparent bitterness as I cook in the pot." She paused, her arms still raised from the twirling. "Why am I bitter, again?"

"You're bitter from defeat, Luna."

"Then," Luna said triumphantly. "Why not cook me now, when I'm sweet from the taste of victory?" With a smile, she jumped down from the bars. Cutting off his next statement was her watch, which started to beep loudly. Luna glanced down at it, turning it off quickly. Her beam grew wider and she laughed delightedly.

"What's so funny?" He asked suspiciously.

Luna stretched out her hand towards him. "I believe," She said, smirking. "I've just earned myself five dollars."

* * *

About five minutes later, Luna and Hekiashi were descending a large staircase into the middle of the mall. Luna was taking two steps at a time, trying to take all of it in (neither of them had been to a mall before, after all), an excited look on her face. Hekiashi followed behind her, still looking cross.

"Oh, _come on_." Luna said, looking back up at him. "I lasted the five minutes. I won the money fair and square."

"I _know_ that." He said irritably, his arms crossed at the thought of his five dollars in Luna's pocket. "I'm just trying to decide whether I would rather spend a whole day with you, or get violently killed and eaten by a pack of savage, hungry Houndoom."

Luna smiled.

"So, who's winning?"

"Yeah, well," He cocked one eyebrow. "I think the Houndoom-"

"WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Luna looked behind him. "What's that?" She said curiously.

"WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"You expect me to know?" Hekiashi didn't look behind him.

If he had, he might have seen the blur.

"WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOF!"

Something small, hard and insanely fast collided with Hekiashi's back. Luna dove out of the way just in time as Hekiashi and the girl were thrown down the remaining stairs and crashed in the ground several feet away from the force of impact.

"What the _HELL_ is wrong with you-?!" was the first comment instantly after collision.

"Oopsy daisy! Sorry!" Following that was high pitched giggling.

Luna stared in bewilderment as she rushed down the stairs to the two fallen people. _What the heck…?_ She wondered blankly. _Was that a meteorite, or was that actually a girl?_

…_Nah. I think it was a meteorite._

Alas, no. It was something much, much worse.

_

* * *

_

H/P


	3. First Date :3:

**I was trying to see if I could get a system where I update every three days, but that attempt has epically failed. FAILED! :P**

**Anyway…**

**A word for what I've noticed about this chapter: I italicize to put thoughts (not used in this chapter) accented words (like when Hekiashi says the 'Just get the hell off me' line) and singing. Yes, people, they DO sing in this chapter! While I'm talking about that, the song is a slightly edited 'One Short Day' from Wicked, thank you. **

**And, I hope I don't have to but I will for this one anyway, but the other main character in this story (Hekiashi) unfortunately does not belong to me. He belongs to my awesomely awesome friend EternalShiningPikmin. Who, apparently, is watching my every move with this story like a hawk. O_O By the way, nu-uh.**

**I should have put this up yesterday, but I am today, and, I'll see if I can get back to the three-day system by seeing if I can post a chapter on Monday. I've got the next three chapters planned out pretty good. **

**Enough with the stupid (but important) A/N. On with the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**One Short Day**

* * *

Oh, no, it wasn't _bad enough_ that he was forced to go on this – he forced himself to think the painful word – _date_ with _that girl_ anyway. It wasn't bad enough that he lost the five–dollar bet with her too, and get humilated by her the rest of the day. It wasn't bad enough that he was going to spend the whole day with her, no doubt at the insane amusement of all the other Legendaries.

Oh, no. It _had_ to get worse.

Ugh.

And so, the Prince of Nightmares found himself lying on his back after slamming into the ground, with a hyper human-girl giggling on top of him. His whole body never ached like it did now, and, of course, his eternally irritating counterpart strolled toward him, hiding her smile behind the back of her hand like always. Thankfully, she didn't have a camera on her, as she so often did. Only good thing about today so far.

The girl on top of him shook the silvery-blonde bangs out of her eyes, revealing eyes a stunning sky blue, oddly similar to his own. "Hi!" She said cheerfully, beaming and showing off her sparkling smile. "My name is Crystal!"

"I don't care what your fu-"

"Hekiashi." Luna sighed warningly as she came to stand beside them.

"-cking name is! _Just get the hell off me, thank you_!"

With a roll of her eyes at her companion, Luna helped the strange girl off of him and pulled her up to a standing position. As such, both Luna and Hekiashi could get a full view of her. Crystal, the girl, had on a light pink halter top. Beneath the sequined silver belt she wore in addition, was an (abnormally short, if that's possible) hot pink miniskirt, complete with matching platform shoes. The garish-colored Crystal was the complete opposite of the delicate person beside her.

"What's your name?" The odd girl asked, punctuating it with a giggle.

"Luna-"

"Looney Luna!" Crystal interrupted her again, gasping and giggling like mad as she hugged her. "We're going to be great friends!"

Luna paused. "Excuse me," She asked politely, as Hekiashi got up from the floor, grumbling. "Should you really be running around while you're under the influence?"

"Don't be _ridiculous_, you silly-billy! I don't drink!" Crystal giggled, grabbing the crook of Luna's elbow and attempting to drag her in the opposite direction. "I'm just _excited!_ My mother is the owner of this mall. I come here every day of my life. I know nearly everybody, but you two are new faces!"

"Well, uh," Luna began with a confused expression. "I'm Luna, and this is my colleague Hekiashi, and we're…I don't know…foreign?"

"You're foreign?" Crystal repeated with another happy gasp. "That's awesome! And you've never been here before?" She turned to the direction of the escalator descending to the next sublevel. "I'll show you around, Luna! See, sweetie, I told you we were gonna be friends!"

_One short day in the Hearthome Mall…_

Luna shrugged and gave her a small smile. "Well, I guess I've always wanted to see Hearthome Mall."

_One short day in the Hearthome Mall…_

Crystal got a firmer hold on Luna's arm and they both started into the direction of the escalator. The two girls were looking at each other with grins that could only come from being about to burst into song.

"Uh…" Hekiashi said quizzically. "Was I the only one to hear the background music start?"

"_One short day  
In the Hearthome Mall,  
One short day  
Full of so much to do!"_ Crystal started singing, leading Luna down the escalator.

"_Every way that you look at this mall..."_ Luna joined in, as they stepped out onto the bottom floor.

Several of Crystal's friends, waiting on that floor, saw the singing girls and rushed over to them, eager to join in. It wasn't every day there was a new girl like them here! "_There's something exquisite," _They added joyfully:

_You'll want to visit  
Before the day's through!"_

Crystal tucked her pale arm into Luna's and started to point out places with the other hand. "That's the restaurant area," She said knowledgably. "And on the opposite side, that's the general food court. Those are the toy stores to the left of that, and the jewelry store in right there, and-"

"_This is a building as tall as a redwood tree…"_ Luna commented in amazement.

_"There are dress salons…"_ Crystal let go of her newfound friend, spread out her arms and spun around, giggling.

_"And those look like libraries…"_ Luna said, glancing to her right.

"It's like a palace, or a museum!" Crystal sighed dramatically.

_"A hundred strong!"_ added Crystal's friends as more and more people joined their little 'chorus'. _"There are wonders like you've never seen!"_

"_It's all grand…"_ Luna sang.

"That's _clearly seen!"_ Crystal said, beaming at her. "I think we've found the place where we belong!"

"_We wanna be in this hoi polloi…"_ The chorus containing of the random mallgoers sang. More of them were coming down the stairs, rushing to join in.

"_So I'll be back for good someday…" _Crystal sang loudly. _"To make my life and make my way…"_

"_But for today,"_ Luna joined in, and the crowd followed suit. _"We'll wander and enjoy!"_

"_One short day  
In the Hearthome Mall,  
One short day_  
_To have a lifetime of fun,"_ The insane amount of people was all singing together.  
_One short day-"_

_"And we're warning the Mall,"_ Luna and Crystal interrupted, singing together. Luna's soprano and Crystal's alto sounded perfect together.  
_Now that we're in here,  
You'll know we've been here before we are done!"_

Yes. It must have been masses of people singing and dancing for no reason on the bottom floor of the mall right then. It was one of those crazy moments you don't really know what happened, or that appears in a really weird musical.

"_One short day  
In the Hearthome Mall!"_ Everyone was singing at the top of their lungs.  
_One short day  
To have a lifetime of fun  
What a way to be seeing the Mall..."  
_  
And, at the crowd's heart, were the two new friends.

"_Where so many roam to…" _Luna laughed, looking around her.

"I'll call it home, too…" Crystal sighed, starry-eyed. The two looked at each other.

"_And then, just like now,  
We can say:  
We're just two friends…"_

The crowd came back in, singing and dancing loud and proud:

"_Sharing one wonderful,  
one short-"_

Hekiashi pushed through the crowd, rolling his eyes.

"And everyone wonders why I hate High School Musical."

_"Day!"_ Everyone sang together in conclusion, spinning each other around or heading back to where they came from.

* * *

Several hours later, our story finds its heroine in the middle of a shoe boutique as her newly acquired 'best friend' purchasing yet another item from stores in the mall. After the operatic Crystal had led her around in that general tour (complete with singing), shop after shop had the hyperactive girl dragged Luna into. Hekiashi, annoyed after having followed the two into too many dress shops, and detesting Crystal in general, had decided to go off on his own for a bit.

Crystal handed a pair of knee-height black boots to the cashier and began to dig around in her spangled pink purse for her spangled pink wallet. With a tone that was almost casual, she finally got to the subject she'd been wondering about since meeting them.

"So, Lu-Lu…Hekiashi, huh?"

Luna flinched at the derogatory nickname, but honored the question with an answer.

"He's not anything like that, Crystal."

"Are you sure?" Crystal said, flashing a dazzling smile as she exchanged with the cashier her money for the black boots. "Or, at least, you don't _want_ him to be your boyfriend, do you? Because, abiding by the girl code, you CAN get him first."

Luna laughed. She was so NOT used to this question. The others at the Hall of Origin would have never asked, for fear of death. "_Hekiashi_? _My_ boyfriend? Please. Get real."

Crystal shrugged. "If you don't want him, I'll take him, cute white hair and all." She concluded seriously. "You think he'll like these? Anyway," She added, tucking the shoes into her oversparkly purse. "I think you're _crazy_. Any of my friends in this mall right now would, seriously, like, _die_ to go out with him."

Luna cracked another smile. "You like him?"

"Psh- _yeah!_" Crystal said enthusiastically. "He's the freaking hottest guy I've seen in the mall all day! _Rawr!_"

Luna's expression changed.

"You talk about guys like they're party favors, Crys."

Crystal giggled delightedly. "Sister, you've got a _lot_ to learn, and I can teach you. Luna, in _this _mall, boys _are_ party favors. You just have to get the _right ones_." She thanked the cashier with another smile and strolled out the store.

Luna followed her, the thoughtful expression lingering on her face.

_

* * *

_

H/P


	4. First Date :4:

**A/N: Aiming for Monday, now, Human Pikachu has the ball, running up the court…she SHOOTS! She EPICALLY misses! Human Pikachu is now BREAKING the basketball hoop! That's right, she is now SNAPPING the pole into pieces! She's DIGGING a hole, that's right, folks! She is now BURYING the pieces of the pole!**

**Me: -pops back up, covered in dirt- That was fun. :P**

**What's with you people reading and not reviewing? Review, please? You all know how that makes the authoress happy. And what if –gasp- that might mean more motivation for the third day updates I was talking about? Which might mean –another gasp- **_**faster**_** updates!**

**-gaspgaspgaspgaspgaspgasp!- **

**This is not my favorite chapter, the next one is (of the first part, anyway). See, the story's split into three parts, the first, second, and "third" (though that one's not really a date) date. You'll understand better when I get into the second part. The first is the shortest of the three parts and, unfortunately, the funniest. This is the only part that concerns Crystal, though she appears briefly in the third part. The second and third become a little more serious, but –gasps again, this time for air- there might be fluffiness!**

**-falls over, thereby ending the A/N-**

**

* * *

**

Chapter Four

**S.O.S.!**

* * *

Luna and Crystal, the newfound friends, stepped outside of the little shop and looked around.

"Speaking of our guy, where is he? I haven't seen him since, like, an hour ago." Crystal said, puzzled and pulling her handbag tight over her shoulder. "He isn't mad at us, is he?" She asked worriedly.

"Annoyed, for sure, but not mad." Luna shrugged.

At the same time, as soon as she finished speaking, words were telepathically shot into her mind.

_Hey, swan, if you're done flirting with that irksome female already, I'm over at the farthest table in the group of them on your right. Ditch the girl, please. I've known her for less than a day and she's already more exasperating than you. …If that's possible._

Luna sighed, rolling her eyes as she glanced to the right.

"Hey, Crys?" She said slowly. "I think Hekiashi wants me to go talk to him for a bit. You mind?"

Crystal's head snapped around to look at her.

"I thought you said he could be _my_ man!" She whined instantly.

"He still is, Crys." Luna said patiently. "You go find your mom and help her, 'kay? You were always talking about how she always needs your help-"

"Fine then, I'm going, I'm going." Crystal grumbled, stalking off into the other direction, muttering angry things under her breath like 'friends' and 'are not supposed to take' and 'your man'.

Luna turned, her curls swinging, and walked to her right, and back to the farthest table.

* * *

Luna slid into the bright green chair, opposite from Hekiashi, who was silently watching her. His arms were resting on the cold, grey table. Luna fixed her pitch black skirt, crossing her ankles and looking back up at him, raising an eyebrow.

He swept his silver-white bangs out of his eyes and pushed the small red plate in front of him across the table. Luna caught them, glanced down at the plate of french fries quizzically, and looked back up.

"It is lunchtime." She said thoughtfully, looking to her right at the people sitting at the tables and eating. "I must have forgotten. Hm."

"Have them all." Hekiashi said indifferently. "I'm not hungry."

Luna shrugged and helped herself to one.

As Luna munched on the first of many fries, Hekiashi leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand., his eyes narrowing accusingly.

"_I told you I had made plans  
for you and me and no one else  
that _don't _include your crazy friends-"_

"My friends are not crazy!" Luna interrupted his quick song, looking up, scandalized. "That's not fair. At least I have friends." She changed the subject. "Is this all you called me over for?"

Hekiashi shook his head and continued, a frustrated expression on his face.

"_Well, I'm done  
with awkward situations  
and empty conversations…"_

"Well, I apologize for being so standoffish." Luna said sarcastically. "But, Hekiashi, I was under the impression you wanted me to be that distant?"

"Well, of course, while Crystal was there."

"What's the problem with Crystal?" Luna asked impatiently. "Crystal's just a bubbly little human female I would think you could _easily_ deal with. And she's very friendly. She's not any more annoying than you are. Don't tell me _you_ can't stand her."

Hekiashi put his hands to his side, as if severely wounded again. He was grinning slightly now, though.

"_Oooh!  
This is an S.O.S.  
Don't wanna second guess  
This is the bottom line,  
It's true…"_

"Oh, come on, Hekiashi." Luna rolled her eyes at him. "You're not dying or anything. Crystal's a good person. A little eccentric, perhaps, and I admit she can get a tad on your nerves with the singing, but other than that, she's fine!"

"You weren't the one she crashed into." Hekiashi muttered darkly.

Luna smiled slightly.

"You _know_, Hekiashi, she likes you." She leaned forward in her chair. "We were in that shoe store a second ago, and she's was asking all these questions about you. All she could talk about, I swear."

"Oh, Arceus, _please_ spare me all the details." Hekiashi groaned.

"She claims that all her friends like you too, but, as they say, abiding by the girl code, she gets you first. The first thing out of her mouth was that if I didn't want you, she'd take you. She kept talking about how cute you were." _Seriously. It should be illegal for someone to enjoy someone else's pain this much. _

"Arceus, the derogatory _adjectives_!" Hekiashi covered his ears with his hands, mortified. "They make my ears _burn! Burn!_"

Luna smirked and waited until he could finally take his hands off of his ears. "So, Hekiashi, how does it feel to have a fan club?" She asked casually, looking down at her fingers and snacking on another handful of fries.

"God, when did I freaking _ask_ for a fan club?!"

"When you got Crystal interested." Luna said, inconspicuously flicking dirt from under her fingernails and trying very hard not to start laughing.

"Did I _ask _for her to be interested, either?" Hekiashi demanded exasperatedly. "Did I _ask_ for the singing and dancing shopping maniac to have a crush on me? Did I _ask_ for all the freaking singing and dancing shopping maniacs – or, shall I say, all the girls in this mall right now – to be interested? Hell, _I don't even date!_ I've never been on a date in my life!"

"Except for this one." She pointed out.

"Yeah." Hekiashi's expression changed. "Except for this one."

And so an awkward silence stretched out between them. It would have continued forever if Luna had not decided to speak a few minutes later.

"No, really," Luna continued nonchalantly. "She thinks I'm pretty crazy altogether for not liking you, either. She's keeps saying all her friends would just die for the chance for you to date one of them-"

"Luna, please… for the _good of mankind_, just _shut the hell up_."

Luna could only be silent for a moment before she finally added,

"But Crystal's the most interested, I can tell. She can't stop singing about you."

As soon as she finished speaking, she lost control over her laughter and it was a bit before she could get control of it again.

Hekiashi glared at her, but when she stopped, he then leaned back in his chair, mocking Luna's singing and attempting to do a high, girly voice:

"_I gave my all for you,  
Now my heart's in two  
And I can't find the other half…"_

"Oh, you pest!" Luna said, now exasperated, glowering at him. "That's not how I sing!"

"_It's like I'm walking on broken glass…"_Hekiashi sang, trying to go high pitched in mocking Luna and sounding overall kind of like a walrus.

Luna flicked a French fry at him. "You're incorrigible." She sighed. All her laughter from earlier was gone.

"Why, thank you."

"You know, Hekiashi, that's not supposed to be a good thi-"

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

Both Luna and Hekiashi looked up at Crystal. She had come back already, so soon. And did she look _annoyed_.

"Sorry I took so long," Crystal continued. "I had to go help out my mom. She's at the front desk, overseeing the guests setting up the Clefairy Convention that's going to be in the main entrance. There's so much to do. The Clefairy all have to be herded, and the stands have to be stood up, and the boxes have to be ready-"

Luna's eyes got all big and wide and sparkly.

"There's a _Clefairy Convention_?"

"Yeah," Crystal said, now a bit disturbed by Luna's sparkly eyes. "There are these breeders with hundreds of Clefairies, and every few years they come down and show them off-"

"_Oh!_" Luna sighed. "_I want to go see them!_"

"Oh, but Lu-Lu," Crystal groaned. "I've seen them all already! I thought we were going to go shopping!"

"Yeah, Luna, I'm not so thrilled to go see a bunch of pink blobs either." Hekiashi added lazily.

Luna's lower lip pulled into a pout as she looked back and forth between them. But then, her face brightened and she smiled. "That's okay! I can just…go by myself, and you two can go do something together. Don't let me ruin your fun!"

"What!" Hekiashi exclaimed, bolting upright, his blue eyes narrowing. "_No!_"

"That's sounds great!" Crystal agreed cheerfully, unperturbed. "And that way _you_ can do what _you_ want, and _we_ can do what _we_ want!"

"Who said I _wanted_ this?" Hekiashi protested, horrorstruck. "I'm serious, _I would rather die_-"

"So, I'll meet up with you guys in an hour or so?" Luna offered, nodding at Crystal.

"_Am I being completely left out of this conversation?_" Hekiashi demanded, looking back and forth between the two girls he was stuck with.

"Right!" Crystal cheered joyfully. "We'll see you then, Luna! Good thinking! This way, everyone's happy!"

"But…" Hekiashi began weakly.

Luna was already hurrying off towards the up escalator, looking excited. Crystal watched her new friend go with a grin, and took Hekiashi's arm.

"Let's go, sweetie!"

And she began to drag him off in the other direction.

* * *

"_Better believe I bled…It's a call I'll never get…"_

_:P_

_H/P_


	5. First Date :5:

**A/N: I'm back again… -sighs- I'm very tired and I don't know why. But, the school musical is coming up, and my birthday is in less than two months, so yay! :)**

**A couple days ago, I saw a quote that reminded me of this story, which made me remember this unfinished chapter.**

"_We are such stuff  
as dreams are made on; and our little life  
is rounded with a sleep."_ –The Tempest by William Shakespeare

**This chapter seemed to take forever to write! But I hope you all enjoy it. Took me a week or so to do, and it's not my best work, but I wanted to give it to you now instead of Monday or chapter is divided into two parts, the short first part being about Luna going to see the Clefairy, and the second of Hekiashi and Crystal going shopping. The latter was a lot more fun to write, I should say.**

**Once again, -sighs- out of common courtesy I will probably do this for a couple more chapters, but Hekiashi still does not belong to me. He's been rented to me, though, for this story, by ESP. Thanks, buddy! I hope I got Hekiashi right this time!**

**Part A**

* * *

Chapter Five

**Flying Moons**

* * *

Luna descended the stairs, only to glance back once at Crystal, who was forcibly dragging the horrified Hekiashi away. That made her laugh.

_Serves him right._

Her head whipped back around as she hurried down the rest of the staircase heading towards the Main Entrance. She knew where she was going. She could _feel_ the Clefairy, you know?

She could see a couple flying around and hear the resulting swearing, for that matter.

There were few people near the exhibits before they opened, as with every year. Luna tucked a stray stand of gold hair behind her ear and hurried forward to the gruffy old man in a brown suit surrounded by hundreds of Clefairy, standing in the middle of it all and occasionally barking out orders to his fellows.

His hard expression softened, however, when the young woman rushed up to him, looking excited.

"Well, I can tell by your face that you're a new one. It's not often that we see different people around the mall, surprisingly." He said, gazing at her. "You like Clefairy?"

Luna bobbed her head eagerly.

See, every Legendary has their special Pokémon. The ones they seem to connect most with, to share some powers with. It's a funny concept, but still, it exists, except, of course, for Arceus. Each of the Legendaries seem to favor their special Pokémon, though they all make an effort to conceal it. Except for Luna, who had a deep love for the Fairy Pokémon.

The old man laughed and patted her on the pack.

"It's so pleasant –and rare - to see a fellow Clefairy lover. We're a dwindling population."

Luna nodded.

"It's because superstitions growing among these silly people, just because Clefairy love the night. I think they're just biased against the creatures. I mean, you don't hear superstitions about…say…the Spirit Cresselia coming from a spaceship from the moon, or frolicking in the moonlight at the full moon, now do you?"

Luna grinned to herself and shook her head.

Frolicking _was_ fun.

"That's good. At least the people are showing the creature's patron goddess a little respect." She nodded again. The gruff old man looked fondly down at her. He had decided he liked the young woman. "Do you want to see my two favorite Clefairy, Miss…Miss…?"

"Luna, sir. And yes. I would be honored to."

The man nodded, and beckoned her over to the small herd of Clefairy his fellows managed to gather. He bent down, his quick eyes, searching the crowd of pink blobs, when he suddenly scooped two up and walked briskly toward a bench of the side of the Entrance Hall. Luna followed suit.

The two of them sat down next to each other.

"This one is New Moon. He was my first Clefairy, ever." The man handed her the first Clefairy. It had its ears tipped with green and watched her with solemn eyes. "And this is his mate, Full Moon." The second Clefairy was a normal one, but this one was smiling.

Luna looked at the two and a deep love filled her heart.

* * *

"The Clefairy patron goddess… Cresselia, right?" Luna, stroking Full Moon's head absently, said innocently. As she didn't know full well. "You think people should show her more respect?"

"Of course I do, youngster." The man said gruffly, taking New Moon in his grizzled hands and tossing him up into the air. "Cresselia's the bringer of good dreams, after all. Without dreams, there would be little hope in the world, or peace, either. People don't seem to appreciate that."

The curls hid her face, but Luna expression was pleased.

_If only some _other_ people were like this man._

"She saves lives, too." The man continued, unaware of Luna's satisfied smirk. "My cousin himself fell under one of those death-nightmares inspired by her counterpart. We were certain he was to die, when he suddenly woke up because she healed him. I've never met her face to face, beside that one time, though. Legends say that she is a determined individual, beautiful, and much, much wiser than her counterpart, the Prince of Nightmares, shall we say."

Luna giggled, but then stopped swiftly.

But throughout all of their conversations in the past hour or so, they hadn't noticed the behavior of the Clefairy.

The stray Clefairy all landed within the main group and they all settled down, somberly watching their master and the woman talk. They had sensed what she was. A few cautiously bounced forward, toward her. A couple of them followed suit, and then several more, until nearly the whole group were bouncing steadily toward her.

Luna noticed just then. And suddenly, she remembered why she wasn't supposed to come near a lot of Clefairy.

"OH CRAP!"

With that cry she flung Full Moon back into her owner's arms, thanked the stunned man quickly, and started sprinting headlong up the stairs.

She had to escape, now.

She could already hear the buzz of the Clefairys' strange wings behind her.

**

* * *

**

Part B

**Hekaishi's Gonna be...Popular!**

* * *

Crystal was tugging him away still, chattering on endlessly.

"Isn't this so great? We get to finally spend some time alone together…I know we got off on the wrong foot when we met, you know, with the stairs thing? But that's all behind us now! Luna's a great girl, but she can be a bit weird, you know? You know! But I'm glad you're here, with me, and that we can be together, and that you can help me go shopping, and tell me what you like, and then I can wear it, and that's going to be great, because it's going to be like a date, and-"

But Hekaishi wasn't listening to her as she dragged him off towards a bright pink store nearby marked 'Miranda's Mystery'. He was wondering about the amount of witnesses he would have to hunt down and kill if he killed Crystal on the spot. And then hunted Luna down and killed her later.

_Too many._ Sighed the logical voice in his head, which sounded like Luna's voice and which he often ignored. _Besides, you're supposed to remain inconspicuous, remember?_

Crystal's voice droned on in the background.

"-and-"

"Crystal, I think I've changed my mind." He interjected quickly, stopping and yanking his elbow from her grip. "I think I would rather go look at useless pink blobs for a while. I really don't want to go shopping. I hate shopping. It's a male thing, you know?"

Crystal turned on the spot in front of the store, her eyes widening and instantly full of tears. "Please, Hekiashi? Pretty please?" She pleaded. It's only for a little bit, I promise. Please?"

There was no way out of it if he would still be able to show his face to Luna again.

"Fine then. If it makes you shut up." Hekaishi grumbled, wondering to himself if he had developed a taste for self-torture.

Crystal beamed at him, all trace of the sadness gone – _'works every time'_ she thought to herself - and the two of them walked inside of the store.

If eyes could catch on fire from pink overload, it would have been now.

Hekiashi wondered what hell he had dragged himself into.

* * *

Crystal stepped out of the dressing rooms, modeling the first dress. She was dressed in alluring strapless satin dress, completely black. She had a very short skirt that had a design of black and white stenciled feathers. Her hair was pulled back in a bright white clasp, and she had matching high heels to pull it all off. It seemed she was trying to copy Luna's simple black and white style, but unsuccessfully.

"What do you think?"

Hekiashi didn't even glance at her. "Still repellent." He said stiffly, grimacing as he looked at the next shelf, and then added: "To me, anyway."

Crystal's lower lip pulled out into a pout. "You didn't even look at me!" She complained.

"Yes, and I'm very happy about that, so please don't torture me more and force me to look at you."

Crystal sighed exasperatedly.

"You need to learn to play nice, sweetheart."

Hekiashi made a face. He had heard _those_ words before. "Unfortunately, being mean seems to get the job done a lot faster. Except for this job. The job of getting rid of you. Being mean to you doesn't seem to get rid of you."

Crystal pursed her lips. This was going to harder than she thought. "Good thing I'm a very persistent girl, hon. Even though you don't like me very much now. I'll wait. I can look past your faults."

She paused and added:

"Your lots of faults."

But then she beamed happily, dashing Hekiashi's hopes that she had finally given up on him. "It's like they complement my virtues…" She sighed wistfully.

Hekiashi grimaced again.

"…But, Hekiashi, even though you're not interested in me," She continued. "I can still help you out. See, I'm fun and stylish. You're antisocial and all depressed-looking. But, don't worry; we can change that right up!"

Hekiashi eyes widened and he backed away. "Oh _God, _no-"

"That's it, Hekiashi!" Crystal cried happily, her eyes going big and sparkly again.

"We're gonna make you…popular!"

Hekiashi tried to make his escape right then and there, but Crystal seized his arm with a surprisingly vice like grip. She was beaming and nothing could stop her now from bursting into song… _again._

"_Whenever I see someone  
Less fortunate than I,  
(And let's face it - who isn't  
Less fortunate than I?)  
My tender heart  
Tends to start to bleed…  
And when someone needs a makeover  
I simply have to take over  
I know I know exactly what they need!"_

Hekiashi _really_ did not like where this was going.

"_And even in your case…  
Tho' it's the toughest case I've yet to face  
Don't worry - I'm determined to succeed!"_

Hekaishi groaned inwardly as Crystal tugged on his arm and pulled in front of the mirror that went in a 180 circle.

"_Just follow my lead,  
And yes, indeed  
You will be…"_

This was not good.

Not good.

"_Popular!  
You're gonna be popular!  
I'll teach you how to watch the details  
When you talk to females  
Little ways to flirt and flounce…"_

Crystal came up behind him, rocking up on the tips of her toes and putting her face next to his in the mirror. Her hands were on his ponytail.

"_I'll show you what shoes to wear,  
how to fix your hair…"_

Hekiashi batted her hands away, and the logical voice in his head whispered "Don't kill her. You can kill her later. But not in front of these witnesses."

Yeah, even the logical voice had started going insane!

"_Everything that really counts  
to be popular,  
I'll help you be popular!"_

Crystal had pirouetted away from him, and she jumped up onto the table full of pink tank tops, which several of them skittered off.

"_You'll hang with the right cohorts,  
You'll be good at sports,  
Know the slang you've got to know…  
So let's start,  
'Cause you've got an awfully long way to go…"_

The workers in the store looked up at her and grinned. Obviously, for Crystal, everyone knew this was the norm. They spun forward, helped her off the table, and spun off the beat of the music. Hekiashi inwardly groaned and put a hand to his forehead.

Any wonder that he had a massive headache?

"_Don't be offended by my frank analysis  
Think of it as personality dialysis  
Now that I've chosen to become a pal,  
A girlfriend and adviser,  
There's nobody wiser.  
Not when it comes to popular -  
I know about popular…"_

Hekiashi decided that he was going to need to change things. Very soon.

"_And with an assist from me  
To be who you'll be.  
Instead of dreary who-you-were, _well, are…" She threw a sympathetic but reassuring glance at him, as she spun from worker to worker in a form of a odd ballroom dance-thing.

"_There's nothing that can stop you  
From becoming popu-  
Ler –_ oops-" She giggled and corrected herself. _"-lar."_

She stood on top of one of the tables and leapt off, spinning gracefully as she did so.

'I wonder how much more of this I can take before I die.' Hekaishi wondered to himself. 'My Arceus, what's so wrong about wanting a quick and painless death?! Why did it have to be this?'

"_La la la la…"_ She sang happily.  
_We're gonna make you popular!"_

As she said those words, she had been bouncing around the store, when she paused and tossed her hair, coming to stand by the mortified Hekiashi again.

_"When I see depressing creatures  
with unprepossessing features…"_

She patted Hekiashi's arm kindly, who snatched it away as if he'd been burned. She shrugged and admired her spinning self in the 180 mirror.

"_I remind them on their own behalf to think of  
Celebrated heads of state or  
Specially great communicators:  
Did they have brains or knowledge?"_

She grabbed a hot pink feather boa of the shelves and strung it around her neck, smiling her dazzling smile at herself into the mirror again. Even though she looked horrible in a combination of pink, black, silver, and white. Behind her, the workers paused in the dancing and all struck poses.

"Don't make me _laugh_!"

Giggling, Crystal pirouetted around the store along with a few of the other workers. She threw off the sunglasses she was wearing and tossed the end of the feather boa around her shoulders.

"_They were popular! Please -  
It's all about popular!  
It's not about aptitude,  
It's the way you're viewed,  
So it's very shrewd to be  
Very very popular  
Like me-_AAAAAAHH!_"_

The girl's singing was halted abruptly as a pair of hands grabbed her, flipped her over, and slammed her down on the ground.

* * *

"You flipped me over!" Crystal said indignantly, finding herself on the ground. "That wasn't nice!"

"Was I trying to be nice?" Hekiashi muttered under his breath, but pleased with himself.

"Sweetie, that was mean!" She hadn't heard his sarcasm. "How are you going to make friends if you treat people like this? You need me more than ever now! It's a good thing I'm a patient woman, darling, because you would be losing me now." Crystal looked up at him with her big, sad, beautiful blue eyes. "Don't worry. We can get through this. This will all work, honey."

Hekiashi was trying very, very hard not to lose his temper completely. He knew that if this was happening to anyone else but him right now, he would have been on the ground laughing. In the position himself, he realized it wasn't as funny.

That disconcerted him a bit.

"No, Crystal. This _isn't_ going to work. This would never, ever, in the history of the world that Arceus created, work."

Crystal started to protest, but then stopped, her simple mind confused. "Wait - the popular thing or the us-together thing?

"Either. Both, for that matter. Neither of them would ever work. Because, I don't know how I can make this clearer, I _don't like you_. And you do not know how long I've been waiting for when Luna gets back, and I think I'm going to go find her because I cannot stand another minute of your _absurd _singing. So, hell _yes_, goodbye, Crystal."

Hekiashi turned and strode away toward the entrance, leaving Crystal on the floor, but he reminded himself of something and turned around.

"Besides, I'm not interested in being you humans' shallow idea of popular…

It's _way_ more fun getting to annoy people."

He was halfway out the door again when Crystal, tired of all of this, finally exploded:

"It's _Luna_, isn't it? You like _her_! That's why you _hate_ me!"

And suddenly, Hekiashi found his humor again.

He leaned against the door of the store for support as he struggled to stand through his laughter at the pitiful excuse. "Whether I liked her or not – not, by the way – I would still hate you to the ends of the earth, Crystal. I actually feel bad for your parents, whoever they are. They should be ashamed."

Hekiashi pushed open the glass door.

"So, I'm going to go wait for Luna now."

Crystal hurriedly got up, brushed off her skirt, and scrambled after him.

"Hekiashi! Wait for me! We can still be friends, right?"

* * *

Hekiashi and Crystal stepped outside of the store, looking around. Crystal's lower lip was pulled into a delicate pout, the complete opposite of Hekiashi, who looked murderous.

_Oh where, oh where is Luna?_ He wondered, rubbing his hands together.

_I need to, ah…_repay_ her for her idea._

The pair were waiting patiently – well, that might be an extreme exaggeration on Hekiashi's part – in front of the store until they heard a yell and furious running. Seconds later, Luna (a blur of white, black, and gold) blazed past them, running for her life.

"Hi guys!"

And in another flash, she was gone and hundreds of pink blobs were all whizzing past them, chasing after her.

…

Crystal blinked.

"Is it just me, of is Luna being chased by thousands of Clefairy?"

Hekiashi had already sighed and started off in Luna's direction to go help her out.

* * *

Crystal lingered, watching Hekiashi with a small smile on her face. Sure, he might not be interested in her now, _oh_, but he would be. She would make sure of that.

As for what he had said about her advice…

"_And though you protest…"_ She sang softly to herself.  
_Your disinterest  
I know clandestinely…"_

She grinned to herself.

"_You're gonna grin and bear it,  
Your newfound popularity!"_

She giggled delightedly and dashed after Hekiashi, Luna, and the hundreds of Clefairy who were all cuddling – I mean, attacking – her.

"_La la la la!"_ She sang loudly, pirouetting as she gracefully skipped off.  
_You'll be popular -  
Just not as quite as popular  
as me!"_

_

* * *

_

H/P


	6. First Date :6:

**(A:N/ Who, it has been a REALLY long time, hasn't it? The play's already ended, my birthday, long gone, school ended…And look at all the time I have now! 8D I'm so proud of myself for finishing this chapter!**

**I sincerely apologize to all the dedicated fans to this story who have had to put up with my lame excuses and merely kept encouraging me to write… I appreciate it so much, and thank you! I owe you this very very very late chapter, and I'm trying to get more time to write it…**

**Hekiashi, sadly, does not belong to me, though his owner does tell me I'm doing a very good job in portraying his personality. Every time he mentions that I am relieved – I was really worried about using his character, and I am about this chapter especially. Crystal and Luna both belong to me, as you know, blahblahblah…**

**So now I give you this next chapter, the penultimate chapter in the first section. These next two chapters are also the last we'll see of Crystal until the end of the second section, a brief role in the first chapter of the third section, and the epilogue. I know, sad… I'll miss her and her craziness… **

**And I know the chapter title is simple, but hey, I kind of thought it fit.)**

**

* * *

**

Chapter Six

**My…Hero? What?**

* * *

Before I give the chapter, ladies and gentleman (or whatever the heck you are) I'm going to sit you down and teach you a little lesson about life.

See, when being chased by an enormous crowd of/or Pokémon, whatever species they are, you obviously want to get them all to stop chasing you. Several examples of what you can do are: Jump into some kind of river, run into a building, pull a Pokémon out and fight, get other people to do the work for you, and other such things.

However, I would _not _advise you to take a nearby baseball bat and attempt to swat the attacking Pokémon away with it.

Yeah. Not wise.

But Luna was not exactly thinking clearly as she was being attacked by a whole lot of Clefairy ready to cuddle. If she had, she would have not grabbed the baseball bat. Or, at the very least, found a smaller, less open space -

"Back!_ Back,_ I say! Stop! No! No-no! Bad Clefairy! Bad!"

and Hekiashi was taking his own sweet time down the stairs.

* * *

"Luna…" Hekiashi began, watching her violent flailing, a grin spreading across his face. "What happened…?"

"Well, you remember the concept of special Pokémon?" She paused and didn't say anything more for fear of revealing their identities to the passerby.

"Of course." He shrugged, reaching the bottom of the staircase and looking up at her.

"Well, my aura draws them to me! It's like magnets! I completely forgot! Then when I was over at the convention, they sensed it, and I had to flee – Help! Help! Can someone help?"

However the group of blonde boys standing nearby only cracked a smile, and an old couple sitting on the bench shook their heads sheepishly. Anyone else was in the shops or in a different area. Hekiashi had to struggle to not burst into laughter.

Luna continued to call out desperately.

* * *

"Can someone help – EEEEEEEEEEPPPP!"

The pink pixies had finally seized the end of the bat and lifted the lunar woman soaring into the air. At that same moment, Hekiashi went in the opposite direction, falling to the floor with the force of his laughter. Luna glanced down at the snickering Hekiashi, clinging to the bat as all the other Clefairy all swirled around her.

"Hekiashi! Please! A little help?"

"No WAY! OH MY ARCEUS! If I had a camera right now- Wait a minute, I forgot I do! I got it while you were with Crystal!"

With an ecstatic evil smile, he whipped it out and aimed it at her.

"TOTAL BLACKMAIL!"

He collapsed in another fit of laughter, and a cross Luna, dangling in the air and holding on for dear life, managed to glare murderously down at him.

"When I get back down there, Hekiashi, you are _SO DEAD_!"

She returned to her predicament, Hekiashi getting up from the floor, and she suddenly realized something, her eyes widening. Her heart deadening, she gasped.

"No! My grip is slipping!"

And with another twirl, Luna's hands slid right off. And with an ear piercing scream, Luna tumbled from the high ceiling to her death on the tiles. But it was no use, and sound faded away to her, all but the rushing off wind in her ears.

As the ground rushed up to meet her, the pale purple lids slid down over eyes as Luna prepared to give herself up to the void.

* * *

But reality came back with a loud _WHUMPH_, when Luna, expecting to feel nothingness, instead felt two cold arms softly catch her. Surprised, Luna's eyes flew open and the first thing that focused in her vision was Hekiashi's face, closer than normal and looking annoyed.

"Idiot." Was the first thing he muttered.

"Hekiashi!" Luna shouted in shock, looking to the side and seeing that he held her above the floor. Above them, the Clefairy all began to swarm together and zoom back to the main entrance. "You…you caught me! Y-you…_saved_ me?"

"Yeah, I did. See what I meant about you needing me nearby? Death magnet." He grumbled to himself. "Really! Forgetting about something incredibly dangerous! That's just like you. I had no idea it would go that far! Do you have the faintest inkling of what would happen if you died! First of all, Arceus would probably skin my hide and have me thrown off the mountain, and nightmares would rein supreme, and peace and hope would evaporate-"

"I get it." Luna's face flushed with shame.

"But maybe, like the conceited daydream princess you are, you think I would like that dark world? You know _nothing_, Luna."

Luna cringed at his anger. "Sorry! I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." Humiliated, she looked back at the floor, anything to take her eyes away from his face.

"And um, Hekiashi, you can put me back down on the floor now."

He set her back on her feet, muttering something that sounded like: "The legends claiming she's wiser than me must have been made up by drunk people."

"Luna! Hekiashi!"

Crystal skipped down the stairs at her amazing speed and zipped toward them. "Lu-Lu, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

After that brief exchange, Crystal immediely turned to Hekiashi. "I saw how you caught Luna, so brave and strong like that…" Crystal fluttered her eyelashes dreamily, gazing at him. "That was so sweet, rescuing a damsel in distress…You're like a hero-"

"Luna, do you want something to eat?" Hekiashi said randomly, desperate to change the subject

"I'd like milkshakes! Strawberry!" Crystal, distracted, called out immediately.

"Um…then I guess I'm in. Vanilla." Luna said, shrugging.

Whoops. Hekiashi didn't realize he had become a waitress. "Damn." He grumbled to himself, walking off to the nearby milkshake stand. "And I thought I'd never have to relive the Chansey punishment."

The difference was that Luna remained silent this time.

Blessed silence. Maybe this time around wasn't so bad then.

* * *

"So how was the Convention?" Crystal bubbled as Luna took her vanilla milkshake from the surly Hekiashi.

"Oh, it was really fun, besides the Clefairy all chasing me. I met the main herder and he seemed to take a liking to me. He showed me his Clefairy and introduced me to his favorites, New Moon and his mate, Full Moon."

Hekiashi's eye twitched when she said the names, but neither Crystal nor Luna noticed.

"And we talked for a while, he was very interesting! But that's when the Clefairy caught me and I had to run." Luna shrugged her shoulders and started chugging down her milkshake.

"How nice." Crystal said politely, preparing to spill her own story as she took her own milkshake from Hekiashi. Left out of the conversation, Hekiashi sipped his own vanilla milkshake.

"And how was your guys' trip?" Luna finally asked, finishing with her milkshake.

"It was really fun!" Crystal said, sucking down her strawberry milkshake. "We went into Miranda's Mystery, one of my favorite stores, and we discussed… fashion. I felt me and Hekiashi had some really good _bonding_ time." She smiled flirtatiously and winked at Hekiashi behind Luna's back.

Hekiashi had to take very deep breaths in order to calm himself and not kill Crystal on the spot. His hands tightened into fists – except for the one around his untouched milkshake. He only had to look at it for a moment, when the idea formed in his mind and an evil smirk cut across his face.

Crystal had turned around, absentmindedly sipping her icy treat and humming. Hekiashi took up a few silent steps until he was directly behind her, his weapon poised in his hands.

But in a move that was as fast as it was simple, Luna walked behind him and beside Crystal, twirling the milkshake out of his hands. He tried to quickly grab it back, but it danced out of his reach, cupped in her hands.

_What was that for?_

_Oh, Hekiashi - It would have been wasted on her head instead of in my stomach._

Hekiashi saw the faintest hint of a smug smile on her face and was more than a little annoyed as Luna began to drink his milkshake.

Soon they were both distracted.

* * *

Finishing quickly with this second milkshake, Luna loped toward the trash can at the top of another down staircase and tossed it in. A sight caught her eyes and she paused, looking downward.

Crystal and Hekiashi walked toward her, puzzled. Luna's head tilted as she looked down the steps at the stage, the lights, the swirling people. The lights reflected in her lavender eyes as she stared down, lost in thought.

"Who are they?" It was Hekiashi who asked.

"Oh, them?" Crystal walked forward and followed the two's gaze.

Down the stairs, at the very bottom level, was a large, faded yellow circular stage, though without a backing. It lingered in the very middle of the floor, looking a little out of place. On the stage was a drum set, being hammered on by a fair-skinned teenager with messy dark brown hair that concealed his eyes. Playing a navy blue electric guitar was another teenager, very dark-skinned, his black curls falling down to his shoulders. In the center of the stage was a rather pretty young woman, her blond hair pulled back in voluminous ponytail, who was clutching a microphone. Flashing lights were set beside the stage, making the darker floor light up a variety of colors.

It seemed a large group of people who clustered around the sage, either just listening to the music or dancing in large groups. The sound of laugher and talk and music floated up to them.

"Well, dears, the girl you see singing onstage is Nelly, with her two best friends Nathan, and his recently adopted brother, Adunbi. Adunbi plays the electric guitar, and Nathan plays the drums. Nelly sings – you should hear the darling, she's amazing. They perform in a band – only they usually have Nelly's dear sister, Shelly, with them, because the sweetie plays the bass guitar. Shelly's one of my best friends, she's quite like me, actually-" As soon as she said that, Hekiashi resolved that he would never meet Shelly. "-but she's sick today."

"What about the rest of them?" Luna gestured to the dancers, who were spinning and dancing around. It wasn't silly and awkward like the enormous crowds Crystal could draw up, but rather serious dancers.

"Actually, random mall goers, and the band's bestest buddies. Whenever they're celebrating something, or just want a weekend out, they come here. They agreed with my mom that they could play in this area as often and long as they want, and no one's complained. The darlings are quite good. Last time they played every day, all-day here for a week because of graduation or something like that. Usually they stay for two or three days."

"What's the name of their band?"

"_Sockenmarionette_, I think." Crystal shrugged. "I have no idea what it means. I think it's German or something. But who cares? They rock! Do you want to go down there and dance? It's really fun!"

Without stopping to hear her answer, Crystal grabbed Luna's arm and attempted to pull her down the stairs. Luna didn't budge, and instead looked back at Hekiashi.

"Hekiashi, can we?" She asked quietly.

Hekiashi almost started; extremely startled that Luna would ask what he thought. He was tempted to say no, on purpose just to spite her, but something in her face stopped him. Besides, he was mildly curious himself.

"Oh...all right. We can go."

"Yay!!!" Crystal cheered, attempting once more to drag Luna downward. Luna took one small step forward, but turned to look back at Hekiashi.

"Thank you." She whispered, the corners of her mouth hesitantly curving into a tiny but charming smile. The strangest sensation flickered through Hekiashi's legs as she turned back around and gracefully followed Crystal down the stairs to the party. She went at her own pace despite Crystal's constant tugging to go faster.

Hekiashi stared after them for a moment.

That was odd…

Did he legs just go weaker when Luna flashed that small, but genuine, smile at him?

Hekiashi thought for a minute, but could come to only one likely conclusion as he started to walk down the stairs after the two girls.

Indigestion. Must be the milkshake he had earlier.

_

* * *

_

H/P


	7. First Date :Final:

**[A/N: So, this is the last chapter of the first section…and the last time we'll be seeing Crystal for quite a while! So sad, I'll miss her. =( (Though writing her constant chatter is EXHAUSTING.)**

**A faster update! Hoorah! I was kind of laughing at this earlier because my other, completed chapter story, ****Broken Wings****, has seven chapters (and an epilogue) and it dwarfs this story still with more than 40 reviews. I mean, I know it is a better story, but still. =P**

**Yep, yep, it's been summertime for me, and all the free time I'm having right now I'm putting to writing my stories, like this one… **

**A HUGE thank you to my reviewers, and a slightly smaller one to the people who read but don't review, I appreciate the support! –gives the thumbs up- Onto the story!]**

**

* * *

**

Chapter Seven

Not That Girl

* * *

"Isn't this great?" Crystal bubbled, tucking Luna's arm in hers. "I love these parties! Nelly, Nathan, and Abundi are such great musicians! I mean, I see them and the parties so often (after all I live at this mall), but when do I get to come with new friends to show off to everybody! There is no other verb for you guys, of course!" She giggled. "I don't think I'm really dressed for partying, but oh well, what could I do about it now? You worry about that a lot too, don't you, Lu-Lu?"

Luna looked back at Hekiashi, her expression clearly showing she was struggling not to burst out laughing.

"Yeah, because I'm such a party animal." Luna replied, turning back around. Crystal, however, missed the sarcasm.

"But besides, you look great in pretty much all you wear!" Crystal evidently had forgotten she had only seen Luna today and, therefore, in one outfit. "These parties are so awesome! I love dancing with people, and it's supposed to be people you don't know, but I know pretty much everyone who frequents these malls. No doubt you'll be asked to dace too, Luna! Ooh, I can't wait. My last two boyfriends I first found at one of these parties. Maybe you'll find someone too! Wouldn't that be fun, to have, like, a double date? Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself! You should just have fun and not think about boys-"

Finally interrupting her constant chattering was one of the dancers who had noticed her walking down, promptly asking her to dance. With an ear-shattering delighted squeal and without a backward glance, Crystal let go of Luna and disappeared with the man into the dancing crowd.

In the opposite direction, here was a bench leaning against the nearby wall, beside the staircase, and that's where Hekiashi immediately slunk off to. Luna watched him for a second, as if hoping he would come back, but then sighed anfd followed him.

* * *

"Who knew parties could be so… boring?"

Hekiashi yawned and tucked his hands behind his head, leaning back against the wall. Luna twisted from where she was sitting on the bench to glance wistfully out to the dancing crowd, and then back to Hekiashi.

"Hekiashi, since you're so bored… we can always-"

But her question was cut off with the arrival of a rather good-looking blonde haired man, dressed in black, smiling and looking at Luna. "Pardon me, but pretty girls were not meant to be wallflowers," He offered his hand. At the new voice, Hekiashi opened his eyes and stared at the newcomer. The stranger, however, ignored him. "Would you care to dance?"

Luna, stunned but flattered, slid her pale hand into the strangers without second thought. "Sure, I would love to." She murmured, flashing her dazzling smile as she stood up from the bench.

"_Half past twelve  
And I'm watching the late show in my flat all alone  
How I hate to spend the evening on my own…"_

As the blonde man led Luna into the crowd so that she could dance, Hekiashi couldn't take his eyes off of him. He leaned forward, his arms resting on his thighs. Did that blonde man look familiar, somehow?

"Hey, sweetie." Before he could protest, Crystal was back and sat down beside him, much too close for comfort. "I see Luna found a dancing partner! No wonder. A gorgeous girl like Lu-Lu wouldn't be able to sit down for long. ...Honey, are you okay? Why are you staring at the guy Luna's dancing with?" Her expression became surly. "It's not because you're jealous, are you?"

"_Autumn winds  
Blowing outside my __window__ as I look around the room  
And it makes me so depressed to see the gloom…"_

"I'm supposed to keep an eye on her, aren't I? She's a trouble magnet."

"Of course that's what you'd say…" Crystal muttered huffily.

"_There's not a soul out there  
No one to hear my prayer…"_

It was better than sitting on a bench, Luna thought, but she had a strange sense of déjà vu here, in the middle of the crowd, dancing ad spinning with this stranger. Her uneasiness grew as she noticed the man closely scrutinizing, almost leering in a way, at her.

"Have we met?" She asked uncomfortably. The man laughed.

"Who cares? We might never see each other again after this night. Just lose yourself to the music, baby. I'm leading…"

"_Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight  
Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away?  
Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight  
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day…"_

Hekiashi grumbled a bit about the song choice, but was mostly absorbed in trying to think on how the youth was familiar to him. "Almost like…" He muttered to himself, but then straightened up with a hiss resonating through his teeth. "Jacob Melomi…" No, it couldn't be – he had been dead for centuries now!

"Jacob… Melomi, did you say?" Crystal asked mildly, playing with a pedant on one of her necklaces. "But then… Luna… no. It's a coincidence." She mumbled to herself, almost inaudible.

"_Movie stars__  
Find the end of the rainbow, with a fortune to win  
It's so different from the world I'm living in…  
Tired of T.V.  
I open the __window__ and I gaze into the night  
But there's nothing there to see, no one in sight…"_

Clearly he was overlooking things! Hekiashi leaned forward again. He had probably seen this man somewhere around the mall and hadn't taken notice of it. It only was now, when the man was dancing with his counterpart, did he take any particular notice. And was leaping to the unlikeliest conclusions without thinking them through.

Absorbed as he was in his contemplating, he didn't notice what Crystal was doing.

"_There's not a soul out there  
No one to hear my prayer…"_

The lights and the darkness, the music and motion, was intoxicating to her. The world and time itself seemed to be slowing down for Crystal as she hesitantly slid closer to Hekiashi's side.

"_Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight  
Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away?  
Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight  
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day…"_

The music seemed to be drowned out by the sound of her rushing pulse. Crystal looked at her feet. Fire was blooming on her cheeks – _dang it, I act this way every time!_ – as she slowly tilted her head, leaned in closer, and daringly brushed her glossed pink lips against his cheek. She had missed his lips, but the intent was clear.

Hekiashi instantly was jolted backwards, stiffening and his mouth falling open in complete shock.

"Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight...  
Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight..."

Luna, oblivious to Hekiashi's distress, was spun under the arm of the blonde man, and no one noticed her mouthing the next two lines.

"_There's not a soul out there  
No one to hear my prayer…"_

"Hekiashi?" Crystal bent her head, the better to fully see his shocked and increasingly furious face. "Hekiashi? Really, are you okay?"

_No. Not okay in the_ slightest.

An employee was walking down the stairs, a tray laden with three milkshakes on it – presumably for the three band members on stage. _Luna can't stop me now,_ Hekiashi thought with a savage pleasure. So fast he was a blur, he grabbed all the milkshakes from the tray as the woman passed.

"_Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight  
Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away?  
Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight  
Take me through the darkness to the break of the-"_

"EEEEEEEEEPP!!!!!!"

* * *

Crystal had looked up only to see milkshake raining down on her, drenching her head and shoulders. She had leapt off the bench with a wild cry, attracting the attention of those near her, and the cups fell from Hekiashi's hands with a loud clang.

"What was that?!" Crystal screeched, trying to shake the milkshake out of her blonde locks and comprehend that this was happening to her.

"That-" Hekiashi said threateningly, although a new light was in his eyes. "-was your warning."

"Hekiashi, what did you DO?" Luna appeared, sighing, at Hekiashi's shoulder. Like her, several couples had stopped dancing, anxious to see what the commotion was about. Despite himself, Hekiashi was a little relieved to see the blonde man gone. He didn't have to think about it any longer.

"I did what you tried to stop me earlier from doing, Luna." Hekiashi indicated the milkshakes cups spread out on the floor. "And she deserved it, both times."

"What? But what did I do then?" Crystal wailed. "I didn't try to kiss you until now!"

"You kissed him?" Luna repeated in a less-than-pleased tone, looking at Crystal.

"It's not my fault! It was like I was bewitched, in a trace…" Tears were shining in Crystal's eyes. "Hekiashi, you're so mean to me and I never did anything to you! It was a mistake that I ever liked you!"

A spark of rage flashed in Luna's eyes.

"I rather agree with the last statement, Crystal, but your reason behind the other two? Nothing but pitiful, sniveling excuses-"

"You're taking his side?" Crystal exclaimed, now becoming outraged.

"You're taking my side?" Hekiashi looked down at Luna, dumbstruck.

"I'm taking the side of the justified!" Luna said angrily, rolling her eyes. People were gathering around the triangle, and the band onstage stopped. "Crystal, you know perfectly well you were not 'put under a spell' or stupid 'bewitchment' or 'magic' was performed on you. Grow up and stop living in fairy tales. As for Hekiashi being mean for no reason, I'd like to point out you've been stalking and hounding Hekiashi every moment possible today. It's no wonder he would want to be rid of you! For Arceus's sake, he's not interested, stop bawling about it and trying to get him to change his mind!"

A couple people, particularly men, nodded.

"I can't really say it a better than that, so I just one thing to add, Crystal," Hekiashi quickly interjected.

"...If you DARE to try and kiss me again, I SWEAR, I'm going to make your life such a nightmare you'll wish you had never been born."

Crystal burst into tears once more and fled the scene.

Luna watched her go, her mouth falling open in disbelief. She fell back a few steps, sat on the bench numbly, and buried her face in her hands. The crowd that had been gathering around them noticed and quickly dispersed.

"What is it, Luna?" Hekiashi asked, his voice gentler than before.

"Oh my Arceus, look what I just did!" The words were choked out. "I don't know what happened! One minute I'm nice and the next I change into some kind of viper-tongued woman! How could I have been so cruel to her?"

"You're crying?" Hekiashi said incredulously, taking her hands away from her face. "I can't believe this! You're crying! Luna, you told that girl what she needed to hear. I would have done the same, except my explanations would have been a lot more gruesome and involving a lot more curses and threats. Hell, you were nicer than I would have been, and said it better, although it could've had you ripping out her spleen or something."

Luna looked up at him, a bizarre laugh tinkling from her throat in spite of herself and her now-red eyes.

"Was that some form of a compliment?"

"Excuse me, ma'am, is everything all right over here?" A plump security guard tottered towards them, glowering at Hekiashi until he had backed away swiftly.

"Everything's perfectly all right, officer. There was no violence here, it was all kept under control." Luna wiped away her tears. "Just a little spat between friends, and some milkshakes were knocked over. If you can, will you please go find a janitor so he can clean this all up? We wouldn't want anyone to slip…" He offered her a tissue. "Thank you…"

"No problem, ma'am." He attempted to make a bow, but his voluminous belly prevented him from doing so.

* * *

While they was talking, Hekiashi was still looking after the direction Crystal had run off to, a grin spreading across his face, and only turned back around as the security guard began to leave.

"It's 4:45." Luna checked her watch and murmured as the security guard finally teetered away. "Time to go home, I think…"

Hekiashi spun around to face her.

"This was… actually fun! What time do you think we should meet tomorrow?" He added casually.

The look on Luna's face was similar to one being electrified.

"Wha… tomorrow?!"

"Nine-thirty, do you think?" Hekiashi nodded to himself. "Yeah. That would probably be best. So you're not waiting around for me that whole time. Ad we won't see Crystal. It'll be better than today."

"Nine-thirty? Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, so I'm not late again." Hekiashi frowned. "We probably should be getting back now. Everyone will be wondering where we are…"

"We're coming back tomorrow?" was all Luna could repeat.

"Geez, are swans like parrots? Let's go." Hekiashi grabbed hold of the astonished Luna's wrist and began to pull her up the stairs, as it seemed impossible that she could move herself.

* * *

Hiding in a room, its entrance a partially open doorway marked with –EMPLOYEES ONLY-, was Crystal, tears in her eyes as she watched Hekiashi excitedly drag Luna away. The drink had dried Crystal's beautiful silver-blonde hair into a stringy, dark mess, but that didn't matter much to Crystal now. Now, we just watched the two as they hurried up the stairs, away from her. Crystal felt herself fall to her knees, the tears staining her cheeks. She twisted so she could sit with her back to the wall and look out no longer.

She had been rejected, disgraced, humiliated, shamed, denied, unwanted…

Abandoned…

Crystal buried her face in her knees, her shoulders shaking with sobs. The one time she might have had true friends, who meant more than just shopping partners, it had to end like this. She had tried to be nice, what had she done wrong? All they had done in return was stomp on her heart and carelessly throw it behind them like a piece of garbage.

She lifted her head and tried in vain to wipe away the gushing tears, and in her hour of loneliness she began to sing.

"_Hands touch, eyes meet  
Sudden silence, sudden heat  
A heart leaps in a giddy whirl  
He could be that boy  
But I'm not that girl…"_

Crystal closed her eyes and tried to take deep breaths, take control of the staggering grief that gripped her. She had been through this scene so many times…

"_Don't dream too far…  
Don't lose sight of who you are  
Don't remember that rush of joy  
He could be that boy  
I'm not that girl…"_

Why did every time it turn out the same? Why couldn't she have a happy ending?

"_Every so often we long to steal  
To the land of what-might-have-been…"_

Fighting back more tears, she murmured softly the next lines.

"_But that doesn't soften the ache we feel  
When reality sets back in…"_

Crystal turned and peered through the doorway. She gazed as Luna paused at the top of the staircase, turning around and scanning the crowd anxiously. Looking for her, no doubt.

"_Blithe smile, lithe limb  
She who's winsome, she wins him…"_

Crystal watched as Luna, a sad look lingering on her face, turn back around and head up the stairs. Crystal gently shut the door as Luna vanished from view.

"_Gold hair with a gentle curl:  
That's the girl he chose  
And Arceus knows  
I'm not that girl…"_

This brought on a fresh wave of tears. Crystal yanked at her straight blonde hair and tore at her black and white dress with an anguished cry. "What did I do wrong, Arceus? Why must I remain miserable?" She howled. "I did what I thought was right! Why did I have to be born who I was, so that people naturally hate me? I wish-" She interrupted herself, adding these bitter words. "No, don't wish, Crystal."

"_Don't wish, don't start  
Wishing only wounds the heart  
I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl  
There's a girl I know  
He prefers her so  
I'm not that girl..."_

And with those choked up, final words, Crystal curled up into a small ball and didn't move for a long time.

**

* * *

**

END OF PART ONE

**

* * *

**

NOTE:!!!!! Crystal may have been a more complex character than we thought.

**This isn't the last we'll see of her. She'll make an appearance at the end of the 2nd section/first chapter of the third section, and then she'll be in the epilogue. **

**More funniness to come, but a lot more seriousness too. **

* * *

_H/P_


	8. Second Date :1:

**(A/N: Wow… time passes faster than I thought. ; _ ;**

**I could apologize, but that probably doesn't mean anything – it's simply a case of 'I took on way more than I could handle". I have several very long stories to write, four for home life and the one here. And it's easier to handle the real-life ones because… well, they know who I am and can actually come kill me. But don't think I forget my dedicated readers! A appreciate you all putting up with my overall lameness.**

**So, here I am again, pitifully submitting a long, long, long time late chapter.**

**Next time I wait this long, please send me an email or something reminding me to write this. It would help me to not put it off.**

**And now begins our second part, our second "date" per se. This part won't have Crystal until the last chapter, so it won't be AS funny and instead a little more serious, but this section will probably be the best written of the three. For all those concerned about Crystal's behavior in the last chapter, never fear. I plan to explain it in the A/N in the first chapter, part three that she appears, and that chapter will actually go include more in-depth information about her character. If it's not fully clear to you, the learning author simply begs forgiveness.**

**On to the chapter.)**

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BEGINNING PART TWO

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Chapter One

**Beatings**

* * *

"I'll get there just in time." Luna sighed to herself in relief, adjusting the spaghetti straps of her deep blue dress. The gown had a smocked empire waist and a deep V neckline, the hem fluttering around her ankles. Below were her shoes, a matching blue color with pointed tips. Diamond flower earrings dangled from her ears, and clasped around her neck was a matching chain necklace.

She felt relieved that she would get to the meeting spot on time. After last night, she might've not survived.

* * *

Around five o'clock, Luna and Hekiashi reappeared at the entrance of the Great Hall, to various greetings and smirks from those lying around. However, impatiently waiting and clearly with a purpose, the Celebi waiting darted forward to Luna.

"_Come with me!" Celeste demanded, seizing the human swan's wrist before Luna had the chance to change and dragging her through a nearby door, slamming the door behind her._

"_You know the drill!" Celeste's voice announced from inside the room._

_Following her words was the sound of tremendous crashing, with many loud footsteps and accompanying cries of "Get her!". There were some loud thuds as someone yelled "You ran into me, idiot!" and a shout of "Make her hold still!". More bangs and loud thumping sounded as the Legendaries in the Hall all stared curiously at the door, wondering what the heck was going on. "This would be easier if we didn't have to have the lights off." Someone inside commented. "Wait! I think this is her!" was an immediate shout. There was a loud scream, sounding like Luna, then more furious thumps - "I'm not afraid to use this!" - and everything went silent._

_All of the Hall Legendaries were openly staring at the door now and, rather apprehensive for Luna's safety, Tellah floated over and peeked inside the door._

_The room was almost completely pitch black, but, as his eyes quickly adjusted, he could see every single female Legendary gathered in that room, and all of their eyes were fixed irritably on him. Luna was tied to a chair in the center of the room. The two closest to her were Wish, the Mew holding a flashlight, and Mespirit, who was holding a rather large baseball bat._

"_Out! OUT!" Wish demanded, glaring angrily at him._

_As he shut the door, Tellah saw Wish switch on the flashlight and shine it in Luna's resigned face, while the Mespirit fingered the bat threateningly._

"_Now tell us - _everything_."_

* * *

Luna shuddered at the memory.

She looked up. Yesterday had been a beautiful, bright sunny day. Today was rather cloudy, but that didn't seem to damper the spirit of the passerby, openly grinning and waving at her, remembering yesterday.

_Ah, yesterday._

That strange dance that now haunted her dreams.

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* * *

_

It was better than sitting on a bench, Luna thought, but she had a strange sense of déjà vu here, in the middle of the crowd, dancing and spinning with this stranger. Her uneasiness grew as she noticed the man closely scrutinizing, almost leering in a way, at her.

"_Have we met?" She asked uncomfortably. The man laughed._

"_Who cares? We might never see each other again after this night. Just lose yourself to the music, baby. I'm leading…"_

* * *

The smile that she had been returning to the passerby faded as she began to remember again how in anger she spoke out against Crystal, who had supposed her a friend.

* * *

"_Crystal, you know perfectly well you were not 'put under a spell' or stupid 'bewitchment' or 'magic' was performed on you. Grow up and stop living in fairy tales!"_

* * *

Hekiashi had maintained the view, of course, that Luna hadn't been cruel to Crystal, but that didn't ease Luna's feeling of guilt.

* * *

"_You're crying? I can't believe this! You're crying! Luna, you told that girl what she needed to hear. I would have done the same, except my explanations would have been a lot more gruesome and involving a lot more curses and threats. Heck, you were nicer than I would have been."_

* * *

And then, after all the trauma, Hekiashi's strange idea.

"_What time do you think we should meet tomorrow?"_

It hurt her head to think about why he might have suggested that.

She slowed down as she reached the square center of the mall. She looked up, and Hekiashi was there, sitting atop the bars already, somberly watching her.

Their eyes met.

"Well. You actually made it alive."

Luna's lips curved up in a small smile as she stopped beside him.

"Oh, please. Like you weren't hoping I would die in there."

Her counterpart slid off of the fountain bars, dressed exactly as yesterday. He zipped up his jet-black jacket as his blue eyes looked her up and down.

"You're bruised though."

Luna shrugged. "It doesn't really hurt. I only got tackled, and Mespirit is a wimp with a bat. It was Wish who got me with her flashlight. Besides," her grin grew. "I bet you have bigger ones from when Crystal ran into you yesterday."

"Beside the point."

"Do you think Crystal will show up today?" The anxiousness was poorly disguised in her voice.

"I'm pretty sure I frightened her away from us." Hekiashi stated rather proudly, rubbing his hands together. "And I'm looking forward to it. Are you still upset about yesterday?"

"No." Luna sighed, turning her face away from him and rubbing a place on her hip, wincing. Hekiashi tilted his head as he watched her again, and he smirked.

"I thought you just said Mespirit was a wimp with a bat."

"And I just told you, it was Wish and the flashlight." Luna winced again.

"Right. And one of these days, you have to tell me about what they did, and what you told them."

"Oh Arceus." Luna muttered under her breath, and awkwardly tried to change the subject. "Well? Why don't we go in, instead of hanging out by the fountain all day?"

"Okay, what do you think we should do first?" Hekiashi asked, unaware of the extent of her reaction, as they strode off through the entrance of the Hearthome Mall. "Because, you know, I've got some ideas…"

* * *

_-Inside Gamestop-_

* * *

Luna, feeling bored, ran her eyes across the rows and rows of random DS games lined up against the wall of the gaming store.

_Some of these titles are ridiculous._

_Except for this one._"Hey, Hekiashi." She commented, snatching up one of the games on the shelf. "Look. It's the _'Stop Being Sadistic'_ Coach. Finally. They've come up with a game you actually need." She tossed it into his lap.

Hekiashi was sitting cross legged on the floor, near the front of the store, an X-Box controller in his hand. A game was flashing on the large TV in front of him, and a nine year old boy was sitting next to him. The two were pressing the buttons of the controller furiously, as two characters battled it out onscreen. The tip of Hekiashi's tongue stuck out in concentration.

"I'm going to beat you!" The nine year old announced, his fingers on the controller a blur.

"Dream on, kid." Hekiashi replied, his eyes glued to the screen.

"You're just saying that 'cause you know I'm gonna win!" The boy declared knowingly.

"You're all talk and no play!" Hekiashi retorted.

"In a couple moments, it'll all be over, and I'll be the winner."

"We'll see."

"Oh, you'll see all right."

* * *

And just like that, it was all over.

"BAM!" The boy jumped up from the floor, the screen game announcing a win. "WHO TOLD YOU? WHO TOLD YA, SUCKER? LOSER! LOSER! I'M THE MAN! I'M THE MAN!" In spite of Hekiashi's frustrated cursing, the boy began to do a victory dance in the middle of the store.

"Jimmy!" The boy' mother severely scolded, seizing the boy's shoulders and herding him out of the store in embarrassment.

Luna rolled her eyes as Hekiashi got up, muttering under his breath.

"Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea after all."

"Someone's just bitter." Luna murmured, grinning. "Hey. Aren't you going to get that game I picked out for you? It seems they designed it with you in mind, Hekiashi. And hey, maybe it's a game you can actually win."

"Oh, shut the hell up."

* * *

"Well then, Luna, since you're so smart, what do YOU think we should do?" Hekiashi asked, irritated by her smug giggling.

Her expression turned thoughtful.

"Can't we do something we'd both find fun in?"

Hekiashi's expression during mockingly eager.

"Are you meaning to tell me you've finally realized that being evil and conniving is actually rather fun?

Luna turned and glared at him.

"I was trying to help us actually decide on something together. I was only trying to help. Hekiashi, this date thing was your idea. Is your goal still to make me completely miserable? I tried to give that up, you know."

"You're a saint." He sarcastically bowed.

"Excuse me, young lady." An old crone appeared out of nowhere and grasped Luna's wrist earnestly. "I just noticed you walking past my dear. And I felt your aura. I can sense the internal question you battle with inside, miss, the answer to which you desperately seek! Would you like to have your fortune told by me, my darling?"

"What a bad attempt to hustle someone." Hekiashi muttered scornfully. "Let's go, Luna."

Luna turned to glare at Hekiashi again, then twirled back to the old woman.

"Yes, I would."

Smiling, the old woman clutched tightly on Luna's wrist and led her into the small shop that Luna and Hekiashi had nearly walked past. Hekiashi looked around, noticing that strangely all the other customers gave this place a wide berth. Groaning internally, he committed himself and followed the two through the door.

* * *

**Sorry for this rather blunt, short chapter.**

**Those billion different 'Coach' games are really starting to annoy me. I can't complain though. One of my favorite DS games to play is 'MyJapanese Coach'. **

**This story, Jimmy, and Luna belong to me. And I too. I belong to me. Nothing else in this story does to, unfortunately.**

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H/P


	9. Second Date :2:

**(A/N: At least you didn't have to wait so long for this chapter.**

**All righty then, the inspiration for this chapter came from our good friend Verix from Pixii's old RP. I'll even dedicate this chapter to her. Thank you, everyone, for being so patient for me, while there have been deaths in the family, my dealing freshman year of high school, my working backstage for a production, and being sick. Readers are the best.**

**The chapter is mostly to get to know Luna a little better, and if you've been confused about other things mentioned, such as Jacob Melomi, in this section he will be explained. It's a plot device for later possible fluffiness. =) A**

**lso, we introduce our darling villains.**

**Ah, short A/N. On to the chapter.)**

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Chapter 2

**Cards of Fate**

* * *

The smell of incense filled the room as they entered, choking any other smell. The room was covered with small charms, statues, and symbols.

In the center of the room was a small rounded table, covered with a blue starry tablecloth. In the center of the table was a beautiful crystal ball. Two wooden chairs were hastily pushed up to the table.

The old woman led Luna to sit in one of the rickety old chairs at the table, and Hekiashi sat down behind her, yawning, his back to the wall. The woman bowed again, turned, and stepped through an old door for about a minute while Luna sat down in the chair at the blue table, Hekiashi sitting behind Luna. The woman reentered, draped in dresses and many layers of eccentric fabric. Many golden chains hung around her neck and stacks of golden bracelets ran down each arm, ringing when she moved. The instant Hekiashi saw her costume, he had to stuff his fist in his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing. Luna smiled politely.

Luna looked down at the crystal ball, but the old woman took it off from the table. "We'll not be using that," She said silkily. "I am positive that I can tell far more for you with these. You are lucky. The Tarot Cards will read for you tonight." She set something small and rectangular, wrapped in multicolored silk, onto the table. Slowly and dramatically, she unfolded the silk to reveal a large deck of cards.

"Dear, these are tarot cards. These cards are items of fate, if you will." The old woman sat down in the chair. "By reading them I can tell you your past, present, and future. Who you were, who you are, and who you will become."

"But wait," Luna interrupted. "Tarot reading isn't really fate, the cards supposedly are used to gain insight into the current and possible future situations of the subject… Fate has little to do with it the choosing of the cards is supposed to be tapping into the receiver's subconscious-"

"Darling, let the _psychic_ be the psychic one, dear." The old woman said rather pointedly. "You just have to sit back and relax, my dear."

Luna blinked confusedly and sat back in her seat.

"Aren't I the psychic?" She muttered to herself.

Hekiashi almost fell over snickering.

Luna twisted in her seat and raised her eyebrows at Hekiashi.

"She thinks she is more psychic than THE psychic!" He snorted. She rolled her violet eyes at him and twisted back to face the old woman. She was shuffling the cards and appeared not to have noticed.

"The cards are ready, my dear."

"First…" The old woman sighed, shuffling the deck slowly and deliberately before them, setting it aside, then drawing a card and laying it on the table facedown. "The Past Card. My dear, this card refers to-"

"The past, as it is obviously called the past card?" Hekiashi snorted again. The old woman glared at him, and he didn't break the gaze. The staring contest would have gone on for quite a while if Luna hadn't cleared her throat pointedly after a minute.

"Ah, yes. The things that led up to your present situation."

She closed her colorless eyes and flipped over the card.

"The Knight of Wands."

"You see the card, my dear. The knight. You see his face is full of eagerness. He seems to be an aggressive person. A salamander is adorned on his tunic." She drew one shriveled finger across the card, pointing at the knight. "That represents fire. His horse rears up. This card, it is full of action. Of movement. As the past, it refers to someone who has greatly influenced you. A male, perhaps."

Luna, who had been leaning over the cards intently, straightened up stiffly. The old crone was still bent over the card, and did not notice that Luna's face had paled.

"It seems you, and this one, got caught up in this situation. You didn't take time to think things through before acting."

"Next card is the Present card. This is what is happening to you at this present moment." She drew another card, laying it beside the first. "The Five of Cups."

"You see there are five cups at the man's feet. Three cups have spilled. They represent loss. At present you have been disappointed. The river in the image tells the troubled emotions are making you feel lost and distant." Luna's face was starting to turn red. "You may be cutting yourself off from the joy and love connected with home. You are not aware of the support that remains. That is represented by the two cups still standing. Your friends, ones who love you, offer their support, but you are focusing too much on the disappointment. Remember the bridge. It isn't far from view. It can lead you home again."

Luna's hands were shaking from fury, but the old crone still did not sense the danger.

She drew the last card. "The Future Card."

The woman gave no other explanation.

"The Hanged Man."

"The man hangs by his ankle, but he is very calm. He does not struggle. He has chosen to do this to gain enlightenment - the halo around his head. The Hanged Man willingly gives up his mundane existence. He wishes to attain a greater understanding that will benefit not only himself, but also his people."

The woman's eyes remained closed and did not see Luna's murderous glare.

"The Hanged Man signifies that your situation may best be improved by letting go. Thus can mean a sacrifice of something you love in favor of your best interest. It may mean that your struggle to manipulate and control things has made your situation worse. You must relax. Let events unfold. You must stop second-guessing others and their motivations, only then you discover the true meaning behind the situation.

"The Hanged Man can indicate that you may do the opposite of what you would typically do, or what would be expected of you."

"These are what the cards say, my dear."

* * *

Hekiashi stared at the cards, for the first time an insane spark of curiosity lighted. This woman had not realized her lucky gift, but what she held was true Tarot cards, true cards of power. Usually the cards drawn by the readers where fake and had no meanings.

This was real.

The Past card, a person's influence. Luna, getting caught up in a situation? Not thinking things through…

The Present Card. Luna seemed to be the hardest worker, the dedicated one. Was there something behind that? The cards said she was lost and distant…

The Future Card. A sacrifice of something loved? A struggle to manipulate and control things? Her needing to relax wasn't new… but it being deeper than that had gone beyond him.

And these cards were talking about _Luna?_

What the _hell_ was going on?

Hekiashi was knocked out of his thoughts when Luna's chair rocketed back and hit him. He jumped to his feet, startled. Luna had risen. Fury seeming to radiate from her, she angrily knocked the Tarot cards from the table, scattering them on the floor.

She threw a few dollar bills on the table toward the stunned old crone and snatched Hekiashi's hand.

"Let's go."

She turned and dragged Hekiashi out after her.

* * *

Hekiashi, for one of the first times around Luna, was bewildered beyond words.

"Luna-"

"_Lies!"_ Luna spun around and dropped his hand, glaring up at him. "Lies and babbling! You were right. It was a pathetic use of our time."

A sharp retort was on the tip of Hekiashi's tongue, but something held him back. He stopped her and turned her around.

"Luna, are you okay?"

Luna shook her head, still not meeting his eyes.

"I'm fine, Hekiashi. The stuff doesn't mean anything." She said, overdoing the casualness. "I was just being silly. Come to think of it," She said, looking up with a small smile, a light in her eyes. "I suppose we forget to get your fortune told-"

"Oh, _God._ Spare me."

Luna giggled, turned around, and continued to stroll.

* * *

Darkness permeated the room. In the center of a room was a desk, sitting behind it a man deep in shadow. Various scientists bustled around in the darkness, the only light illuminating the room coming from the large screen at the center of the room. With a bang, the door at the side slammed open. A blonde hair man dressed in all black rushed in, breathing heavily. He bowed to the man behind the desk before panting out his words.

"We brought in that footage from the mall, sir." The blonde boy panted, holding out a small hard drive. "Those pictures you wanted – of those two strangers – all on here."

"Well done, Bob. You have done exactly as I have asked." The man in the shadows waved a hand toward the scientist standing next to him. "Ray. You know what to do."

His assistant bowed to him quickly, wiping sweat from his brow and plugging in the hard drive in a small slot to the master computer.

And up flashed the pictures.

The first that flashed up was of a blonde girl dressed in white and black, twirling in the breeze while balancing on the fountain's bars. Soon after popped up was of the girl and another, a boy dressed in red and black, descending the main stairs of the mall. The next was of the stunned girl being hugged by the mall owner's daughter. The fourth was of the mall owner's daughter smiling at the camera, even though at the time it had been hidden, and that target girl behind her, midway through a laugh.

More and more images flashed – the target girl and boy sitting together, glaring across a grey table. The girl sprinting down the staircase while a mob of pink blurs came up behind her. The boy holding the target girl in his arms, him with a glare, her with a shocked expression. Next of the girl's face, close to the hidden camera, people spinning behind her. Her expression was uneasy. The girl sitting on a bench, her face buried in her hands, the boy standing next to her.

The final was of the boy sitting on top of the fountain's bars, the target girl in a different dress gazing at him.

"Perfect."

The man smirked in anticipation, carefully scrutinizing the girl in the picture.

"That _girl…"_

"Forgive me sir, oh, forgive me, but what about her is so special, sir?" The assistant muttered, wiping his brow in nervousness. "I think it's the white hair of the boy that's more unusual-"

"I'm not worried about the unusual fads of the day! It's her eyes, look at the eyes!" The man exclaimed, pounding the desk. "They're purple. And they glow. And how many people do you see walking down the street with glowing, purple eyes, eh?"

"They could be just contacts, sir. Tricks of the light, sir..."

The man leaned back in his chair, still in shadow.

"This is… different."

The room was deathly quiet.

"Could she be a Clefairy that shape shifted?" He thought aloud, pressing his fingertips together. "Or of the something I've been hoping for? Ray." He snapped his fingers. "Bring up a picture of a Clefairy."

His commands were obeyed. A picture of a Clefairy popped up next to one of the girl. The man in the darkness slowly looked back and forth between the two. He seemed disappointed, which the rest of the room sensed.

"It doesn't seem Clefairy look like her, sir." The assistant murmured, relieved, pressing buttons on the keyboard, taking off all the pictures one by one. "As I may have mentioned, sir, I'm sure she's just an ordinary girl-"

"Wait."

The man held up one hand for silence.

"Bring up a picture… of Cresselia."

The stunned assistance turned back to the keyboard and pressed a button, which brought a picture of the Pokémon Cresselia up next to the final picture of Luna, standing on the fountain's bars.

The man leaned forward, looking back and forth between the two pictures.

"Hm…"

_

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H/P


	10. Second Date :3:

**A/N: The chapter seemed to take so much longer than the others…**

**ESP, you might as well stop sending me those little "And we are here now!" things. I can never find you guys anyway, no matter how hard I try. Honestly, I've given up trying. I'll just work on our story from now on.**

**Ah, this chapter is just a transition into the next, with just some fun little bits thrown in there, though I kind of morph our world and the real world in the process. The next chapter is probably one of the most important of the story, and will explain A TON about Luna's character and the confusing passage we have in the middle of this chapter. Everything will be explained, my dears. Patience will be worth it.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I worked REALLY hard on it. Surprisingly more than usual.**

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Chapter Three

**You Don't Understand**

* * *

Luna struggled to speak through her laughter.

"Wait, no, wait." She interrupted again, taking a sip of her smoothie. "So tell me. What exactly did you do?"

"I told you." Hekiashi leaned back and tucked his hands behind his head. "There are no such things as atomic bombs. That was me. The bombs didn't even work."

"So you were there, at Hiroshima and Nagasaki?"

"Yeah, up in that… B-29, _Enola Gay. _You should have _seen_ Colonel Tibbets, he was a real jerk. And the second lieutenant was an idiot. Morris Jeppson? Ah, dear. He forgot to remove the safety devices when we reached the target area. I realized a split second too late that it wasn't going to work, so I aimed a kind of… Dark Pulse, Roar of Time, and Spatial Rend at the closest thing. Close enough. And it led to the Japanese surrendering anyway."

Luna giggled."I had no idea you had such a big role in World War Two!"

"Yeah, well, me and Tellah had a bet on who would surrender first, the Germans or the Japanese. I won that one, so I decided to do Tellah a favor."

"That's amazing!"

Hekiashi shrugged. "Well, we had an interest in that kind of thing back then."

Luna giggled again, and Hekiashi simply watched her for a moment. She seemed really happy. How it seemed that only two days could make a difference in how she acted and in how she looked. Or was it only because he had never got to know her before? She seemed so much happier, and a lot more relaxed, and well… different.

A good kind of different.

"I was disguised as an actor in the King's Men players."

Hekiashi raised one eyebrow. "With Shakespeare?"

"Old 'Speare. I helped him write his plays. And he knew I was a girl." Luna confessed, her cheeks growing pink. "But he let me do it anyway." She giggled. "He said I inspired his character Rosalind from As You Like It. That was my favorite play of his, too."

"I sailed across the Atlantic with Columbus. Top that."

"I rode on the _Argo_ with Jason when we went looking for the Golden Fleece." Luna said thoughtfully. "I was the one who found it. But I never got any credit. What about - "

"I was one of Caesar's assassins!"

Luna cracked up.

"I won't even try to top that one, Hekiashi."

"It just goes to show you that – "

"Oh YEAH! TAKE THIS! RAICHU! THUNDERBOLT!"

* * *

Everything seemed to slow down, and the world turned into slow motion as Luna and Hekiashi leapt to their feet. A bolt of thunder flew through the air and hit the enormous chandelier above the whole room, and a portion of the chandelier came clean off, flashes of light buzzing everywhere. The chandelier slammed into the ground, and the room erupted into flames.

Luna's eyes went glassy, and the scene changed.

* * *

The whole place had erupted into angry flames, and Arceus' angry screams wracked the entire palace. You couldn't see anything but red, and the hungry red flames eagerly spread to anything they could get their hands on. She couldn't see Jake anywhere, and she didn't know what would kill her first – Arceus, or heart failure if he perished in the flames. Luna clutched at her head and screamed.

"Jake! JAKE!"

"Luna - "

The blonde haired boy was weaving in and out of the flames. Burns raked up his skin, and yet nothing stopped him from pulling her into his arms.

"Jake, forget about me, let's just get you out!"

Luna tugged out of his arms and the two bolted down the hallways. It was too late now. Everyone would have realized what was going on.

"LUNA!!" bellowed a harsh voice. Jake screamed in pain at the sound, and Luna cringed. I _mustn't stop_, she thought, pulling him back up to a standing position and slowly helping him continue. "HOW DARE YOU?! YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO DISOBEY ME, WHEN ALREADY OUR LAWS CALL FOR YOUR DEATH?! _YOU WILL BE PUNISHED_!!"

Holding his hand, Luna helped him regain his strength and together the two were running to the end of the Main Hall, running for their lives. Luna released Jake's hand so he could run ahead of her, but hands then suddenly seized her and dragged her away from Jake, and she screamed again.

"KEEP HER CONTAINED! IT'S HIM I WANT! I WANT HER TO WATCH ME EXECUTE HIM! THE ISOLENCE HAS GONE ON FAR ENOUGH!"

Jake stopped at the doorway, looking back as Luna was dragged back by some of the attackers, his face torn and in agony.

"I can save myself! Run, Jake, RUN!" Luna shrieked, as arms twisted hers to her back and a move slammed into her side, aimed for Jake. She howled in pain, and fell to her knees. As she was losing consciousness, she glimpsed Arceus and Hekiashi chasing after Jake, who had fled through the front doors.

"JAKE!!!!"

With a small whimper of suffering, she shot a Psycho Cut blade, which hit the unsuspecting Arceus in the back. Hekiashi ceased the chase to help his fallen comrade. Luna gave a small smile, and everything went black.

"_It seems you, and this one, got caught up in this situation. You didn't take time to think things through before acting."_

* * *

So dark. So dark she couldn't see. Voices in her head, voices all around. It was too noisy for her. They pounded on her head like hammers. She just wished the pain would go away. She wished she could be free of all the pain.

"Is she breathing?"

"I think she's going into shock!"

"Get the security guards! Get them over here!"

Someone was hurt? _Her _head was hurting so badly, Luna thought they should all be gathered around _her_. She found she couldn't open her eyes, let alone move. Couldn't anyone get her out of here? Couldn't anyone restore her sight? And where was Hekiashi?

"Damn you all, get away from her! Let me see her!"

Well, there was Hekiashi's voice – speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear. But why did his voice sound so far away? Luna unconsciously frowned. Was he looking over whoever was hurt? Who was hurt?

"I think she's gone into shock, sir. She must have pyrophobia…" An unfamiliar male voice echoed. Luna had a bizarre sensation to laugh. Who was afraid of fire? "We'll have to go to the proper treatment for her. Let me -"

"I don't need to hear what you learned in Boy Scouts when you were little. Tell me how you treat it!"

The male voice sounded flustered. "Of course, of course, sir. You -"

The man's voice droned on, once again blurring. She slowly started to feel again, and she was lying on some cold surface, but at the expense of the pain in her head increasing. How was that possible? Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when she felt a cold touch on her arm.

"Don't worry, Luna. I'm right here."

Hekiashi spoke in a low whisper, so low she wouldn't have heard it normally. A weird feeling overtook her briefly, but she then realized that _she_ was the one everyone was gathered around. Her eyes tried to drag themselves open.

"Ah… She's stirring. She will be perfectly fine. Move along, everyone. Move along please." The male voice ordered, and the voices died down as mall-goers slowly shuffled away.

All she could see was blurs and shifting colors, star twinkling in her vision. It was disorienting. She heard Hekiashi, who was kneeling beside her, sigh briefly in relief. Hammers to her head again. She closed her eyes. Hekiashi instantly seized her shoulders, however.

"Luna, look at me!"

Luna blinked rapidly, shook her head, and finally looked back up at Hekiashi.

"What's wrong with you?" Hekiashi said furiously, releasing her. "Damn you, don't scare me like that ever again!"

"What happened?" Luna murmured, sitting up.

"Some idiot was trying to show off, and his Raichu zapped the fountain by accident. It bounced off the top and hit the chandelier, which cut off part of it. It fell down at your feet and started up a small fire – but you started screaming bloody murder and nobody could calm you down! You went into shock and it was hell trying to get you away from all those guards. What was that all about?"

"I… I wasn't feeling well beforehand –"

"Don't lie to my face, Luna. You were screaming his name."

Luna closed her eyes with a sigh.

"So, save your breath for someone who can believe your pretty little lies. Luna, seriously, do you take me for an imbecile? You don't think I can put two and two together? I was listening to those tarot cards, Luna."

"Tarot cards don't mean anything-"

"Luna!" He seized her jaw, forcing her to shut up. An incredulous half laugh escaped his mouth. "What did I just say about lying to my face?"

Luna pried his hands off of her face, her expression upset. "Hekiashi…"

"Luna, he died nearly a hundred years ago. Let it go! The infatuation is over! Cut it out and grow up! You knew you were breaking all of the Legendary rules with him, and he didn't even love you! Hell, he obviously was a flirt! You knew it, we all knew it. He just liked you because he thought you were gorgeous. He didn't love you, and you didn't love him. Just a little crush, and damn, was it an annoying one as well. Seriously. If you have it in your childish head that you felt for him, you're lying to yourself, and you know it. Damn. Luna, just _let it go_."

"I can't let it go."

"Why not?" He repeated, frustrated.

Luna suddenly looked up and glared straight into his eyes.

"It wasn't some little crush, Hekiashi. Damn it, everything I did for him was love. Everything I did, it was out of my love for him. You all laughed at me for it. It's because none of you understand what I felt for him. Especially you! You don't know what it's like! You've never felt how completely devoted you become to a person, so willing just to keep them alive that you risk death yourself. To feel how the world's not worth living when they're not around. How they are more yourself than you are. How they take a piece of you when they're gone." Luna's fists were clenched into fists, and angry tears were sliding down her face now. She looked away from Hekiashi. _"And coming here has made me come to this… The one thing I can't get back is the one thing I miss…"_

Hekiashi was stunned into silence.

"_And I was breaking rules, flying blind…  
What you see through younger eyes…  
It wasn't what I thought it was –  
Man, I swore he was the one…  
And all the time I miss those days…  
But coming back to this place,  
I realize it's not always him I miss...  
It's that young girl, wide-eyed, first love, one time innocence…"_

His anger was gone when she had started weeping. "Luna!" Rashly, he grabbed one of her hands. She took a deep breath and relaxed. "Calm down. I've never heard you talk this way… Tell me. Can't you trust me?"

"You'd never understand!" Luna said shrilly, her fists clenched again, as she wiped away her heated tears.

"Tell me. Please." He grabbed her shoulders now. "Because I'm listening. Damn, I have never listened to anyone like I am listening to you right now. _I'm_ the one right here. I just watched you make yourself go into shock at a memory. Because that's how painful it was for you. I have never seen you so helpless. Arceus put us together so we could watch each other's backs, but hell, I didn't know the danger I was supposed to be helping you out with was internal. And yeah, I'm your counterpart, your irritating, sadistic, malevolent counterpart, but when no one's there, who do you got but me?"

Luna closed her eyes and she wrapped her arms around her legs, looking down at the floor. Shegave a long sigh.

"I'll tell you."

_

* * *

_

H/P


	11. Second Date :4:

**[A/N: Oh. My. Gosh. I'm just... I'm just not gonna even attempt an excuse at why this has not been up for… like, a year? EDIT: OH, only eight months. You can't be mad! =)**

**Sometimes you get really wrapped up with life, you know? And you have to live in the moment. I've still been writing – God, yes. I just finished a Harvest Moon story that I'm now thinking about uploading as a one-shot, maybe. Even if it's Harvest Moon, if I upload it I definitely recommend reading it, the characters I tried very hard to establish. ESPECIALLY if you loved Broken Wings, another one of my stories. If you liked that, you would REALLY like this (super long) one-shot. **

**SO, I've got guy problems and friend problems and… well, yeah life just sucks right now. But I DID remember this. I'm not one who leaves people hanging forever and ever. You eventually get your ending. **

**It may come twenty years later, but you still get your ending. **

**Here's this chapter. It's a little depressing to read, actually. If I had been in a better mood it would have been written better aand probably in a happier tone. It's probably not even very good, but hey, it's something. The purpose of this chapter is so that readers can understand who Jake is. ESP doesn't even know this story, and he's the creator of Hekiashi. O_o**

**Okay, cue story now.]**

**

* * *

**

Chapter Four

**As Time Fades Away, My Arms Will Keep You Safe**

**

* * *

**

Luna focused down hard on the floor, thinking, remembering.

"Will you walk with me?" She suddenly asked, shaking her head. "I can't – I can't think here. I have to walk. Let's walk."

Before waiting to hear the answer, Luna leapt nimbly to her feet, pressing her fingers to her temples, and strode down the path. Stunned at the sudden movement, Hekiashi rose and hurried after her.

"I remember him… I remember him." She repeated as if a mantra. "You remember when I first met him."

Hekiashi almost positively giggled.

"Of course I do." He said, grinning.

Luna, if she had been in the right state of mind, would have rolled her eyes. "You remember, then," she sighed. "How I had turned myself into a human, for the first time, accidently, not knowing how to change back yet. So, stuck as a human, I had human hungers, and was going through Canalave city market. You were stalking me –"

"Was not!" Hekiashi protested.

"And as I was walking down the beach, I could feel your presence behind me, and would have said something, but then some strange blonde boy ran down the beach, grabbed my hand, and offered me lunch. This boy never gave me the chance to refuse, and dragged me into the nearby restaurant. We ordered, we talked… you secretly kicked him in the ass, etc, etc."

"See, this is why I remember." Hekiashi repeated, beaming.

"And then he invited me back to his house. I was getting really sleepy and couldn't think straight – and was asleep by the time the car drove up to his place. He couldn't wake me up. I was locked – in a nightmare." Luna looked pointedly at Hekiashi with a frown. "Turns out when I'm a human you affect my dreams as well."

"And then…"

"Then you came and cancelled it out." Luna's cheeks went red at this point, and they both remembered what had happened: as Hekiashi broke down the nightmare, he also broke into her memories.

The silence stretched between them, almost a physical barrier.

"But you erased his memories. He didn't remember you after that." Hekiashi prompted curiously, trying to keep her on track.

"I did." Luna whispered hollowly, as they turned a corner and strolled out into the cloudy sidewalk. "But, Hekiashi, when we wipe memories… it is a misnomer. We block memories. And what can be blocked can be unblocked. With a strong enough force it can. Nobody knew, but… but… for months after that, Hekiashi… I couldn't get him out of my head, Hekiashi. I couldn't get him out of my head.

"I was meditating on my island, I wasn't focusing… I was in my human form. I thought I was alone. But… but he was there, Hekiashi. He was there! Sometimes humans come, you know, in search of one of my feathers. But… not him."

* * *

"_LUNA! Luna… Luna Mizuki?"_

_Luna jumped to her feet, eyes widening, heart deadening._

_It couldn't be…_

"_Jake?_

_Before she could say a word, she was swept up into Jake's strong arms and he held her tightly in a hug._

"_How? How did I not remember you until now?" He gasped, pulling back to search her face. He gripped her shoulders tightly, like he never wanted to let ago. "A Cresselia – a CRESSELIA! How could I have forgotten?"_

_Panic was starting to fill her now._

"_Jake, you're not supposed to now me, it's dangerous for you –"_

"_You don't understand, Luna, I've been searching for you… I never knew I was… But I know that now…"_

* * *

"He was drawn there." Luna murmured, her eyes closing as she froze, in the middle of the walkway. "My presence… was calling him. And he remembered.

He spent the whole day there, and we talked, we laughed, we connected, Hekiashi. It was like nothing I have ever felt before. And I know it was forbidden, damnit! But I couldn't let him go. I couldn't let him slip right out of my hands feeling like how I was strangely feeling. Oh now, oh now do I know that it was love!"

"Luna, that's was the first time –"

"Humans can harp on it all they want, but don't feed me that crap, Hekiashi. I am over twelve billion years old and am an adult, thank you."

* * *

"_I'll see you tomorrow?"_

"_Jake –"_

"_I _will _see you tomorrow."_

"_I…. I wouldn't want it any other way."_

* * *

"And that began the cycle." Luna said as she sat down on the sidewalk. "The dates. The secret phone calls. The sneaking out. The lies to cover my back. The slacking. The hiding. The alibis. That's when it started…."

* * *

"_Jake, I don't remember agreeing to this." Luna said, shaking her head as her face flushed._

"_Come on! We agreed on it." He turned and grinned at her. "You told me that I could show you off to my friends. You got all dressed up for it, you promised, and so now, I am holding you to it."_

* * *

"He didn't realize it, though. He didn't realize it until one night." Luna closed her eyes again, the lights flashing in her mind again, the music repeating in her head. "He snuck me out of Legendary Hall, I had taught him how to get up there, and we went to a dance club to meet up with his friends… and then we danced."

* * *

"_Jake, I don't…"_

_Jake gazed at her, his eyes strangely bright. Without a word, he bent very, very slowly at the waist and offered her his hand. The music was pulsing, the lights were glowing, but there was no one in the world but him and her. _

"~Follow me into my world  
Let your worries fade with every step you take  
Baby whatcha waiting for…?  
Let the Tango take control,  
Feel the music inside your soul, oh…  
My hand is out, just grab a hold…"

_She smiled at him and took his hand, and he smoothly led her out onto the dance floor, his arm wrapped around her waist. Every moment seemed an eternity. _

"_Watch time fade away, my arms will keep you safe…" Jake sang under his breath as his arms linked with hers. "It's just you and me, dancing in this dream…"_

"~Whatever you do, don't wake me up  
I know the feeling's real, I won't let it stop, no…  
Don't be afraid, take my hand - Forget the world, will you dance?  
Dance with me, Podemos bailar eternamente… ~ "

_"Ugh, you are so much a better dancer than me, Jake." Luna sighed as she danced and sun with Jake in the middle of the floor, the crowd started to notice and cheering._

_"It's fine, Luna." He smiled at her gently. "Baby, just lose yourself to the music. I'm leading…"_

"~Trust in me, take a chance; feel the Tango when you dance  
Dance with me - Podemos bailar eternamente~"

_The lights and the darkness, the music and motion, was intoxicating. Jake had a strange look on his face as he spun her under his arm._

"~Now I have you next to me,  
Everything is how it should be, oh, yeah  
Baby, don't fight the feeling!  
We're floating on the clouds  
If I could, I'd never come back down, no, no  
Baby, just keep on grooving, grooving…  
As time fades away, my arms will keep you safe…~"

_The music seemed to be drowned out by the sound of her rushing pulse. The world and time itself was slowing down as Jake pulled her close, still looking into her eyes._

_"My arms will keep you safe." He whispered._

"~It's just you and me, dancing in this dream  
Whatever you do, don't wake me up  
I know the feeling's real, I won't let it stop, no…  
Dance with me,  
For this moment in time…  
My darling, just dance with me…"

_Luna in that moment understood, released his hands, flung her arms around his neck, and kissed him._

"If for only one night…"

_He pulled back, beaming like he never had in his life, and though his eyes were hungry, he spun her away from him, twirling fiercely. She danced as she never had before, the air charged with chemistry. The world was exploding in color._

"Don't be afraid, take my hand,  
Forget the world, will you dance?  
Dance with me  
Podemos bailar eternamente  
Trust in me, take a chance  
Feel the Tango when you dance  
Dance with me  
Podemos bailar eternamente…"

* * *

"We were so, so completely in love, Hekiashi. He didn't care about anyone or anything If he could see me. We were determined to see each other. But this didn't go on for long." Luna sighed, opening her eyes again. Hekiashi sat down beside her, looking at her, concerned. "Arceus is, of course, omnipotent as ever. I wasn't in my room at the right time. This secret life… he shut it down. Jake was allowed to keep his memory as long as he never came to see me again. That was the condition."

"That wasn't the end of it…"

"Of course it wasn't, Hekiashi." Luna sighed again, giving him a look. "When you felt like we did, you can't stay away. They are always, always in your mind… and he came to my room one night."

* * *

"_Listen, Luna. I'm breaking you out. We're getting out of here."_

_He grabbed her hands and began tugging her toward the window._

"_Jake, have you really thought this through? Luna asked worriedly. "Jake, just go, it's not safe for you here. It's not safe for you to see me anymore. That was the deal, remember? Do you want to have your memory erased? Do you want to be killed?"_

_Jake, who had just climbed out the small window, stared up at her, his chest heaving._

"_Luna, I thought you loved me."_

"_I do, Jake –"_

"_Then come with me." Jake simply said, outstretching his arms. "Luna, come with me. I will hide you. We'll run away together. Forget about being a Legendary, Luna. Forget about the stress, forget about the hard work that's only ruined, forget about these people here who don't care about you –If they did, they wouldn't have locked you away from me. Forget about dreams, forget about destiny; Damn it, Luna, let's make our own! We'll have a life together, somewhere far away… we can have kids… you could be part of a happy family, Luna. That's what I'm offering. _

"_I know that before they locked you up that they ridiculed you. They said I was only around you to look good, because you were hot to the human world. Luna, damnit, I thought we had a better understanding between us. I don't care about death anymore. Call me stupid; call me a Romeo – Luna, the world's … the world's not worth living in when I'm not with you. You're more myself than I am. When you're gone, you take a piece of me with you._

_Jake turned and leaned his back against the outside walls of the Hall._

"_And by the way, you're not 'hot'. You're beautiful."_

_With that, Luna climbed out the window after him._

* * *

"It seems you, and this one, got caught up in this situation. You didn't take time to think things through before acting." Hekiashi unconsciously repeated to himself.

Luna laughed mirthlessly. "Arceus, yes. That would be me." She smiled slightly. "And I did try. To run away with him. Against everything I had ever been taught. Against all the rules of the universe. Because I wanted to be with him." Luna sighed. "Yeah, it seems so stupid, I guess. And, of course, I wasn't away for long."

"Because you were found." Hekiashi said dryly. "Arceus had demanded we do so."

"Arceus was furious – you remember that. Palkia and Dialga combed through all of space looking for me. They found us in our small home in Sandgem Town, quite literally wrecking our house as they dragged us out. Quite a commotion, it caused. The whole town was out there, screaming and fleeing. That's why the population there is currently 13."

"We were brought back to our furious God, and, he demanded 'justice', which to him meant, 'humiliation'."

* * *

"_All rise. The Legendary Court is now in session." Groudon said, looking around the courtroom. "Honorary judge Arceus presiding."_

"_You may be seated." Arceus declared imperiously, entering the room and sitting down. His hoofs clicked with impatience. He wanted the formalities over. "This is the case of – you're getting all this down, right Wish? - Legendaries vs. Melomi and Cresselia. The charges are of treason, treachery, disloyalty, betrayal, duplicity, deception, dishonesty, fraudulence, defying laws, rebellion to your GOD – must I go on? No, I do not. Don't answer that. Defendant, how do you plead?"_

_Jake rose awkwardly. "Um… Not guilty, your honor." He managed to stammer out, and fell back into his chair._

_Arceus snorted. "Of course you think you're not guilty! Is the Defense ready to proceed?"_

_Luna stood, fixing Arceus with a glare._

"_I am, your honor."_

_Arceus glared pointedly at her, but she haughtily continued to stand, a dare in her eyes. Finally, he looked away, and smirking, Luna sat down again. "Is the Prosecution ready to proceed? Yes, we all are. So, now, the defense may present their opening statement to the jury, who is me. I am the judge and the jury. Any objections? Overruled. Proceed."_

"_Gods and Goddesses." Ignoring the slight, Luna began to plead softly, rising again from her seat. "We were created by Arceus to do his will and to serve his world. We have been forced into a destiny. We have never gotten a choice of what we wanted. We have never known anything different. My fellow Legendaries, I beg you to have mercy on Jake, have mercy on our love. You have no right to stop me. __You did nothing when I was held against my will; you have no right to stop me from trying to escape this enslavement. My friends, I have seen the real world, and there are so much out there beyond duty –"_

"_Thank you." Arceus interrupted. _

_Luna pounded the wood bar separating her from her fellow Legendaries. "Damn you, I'm not finished, Arceus!"_

"_When you disrespect God, you don't get to finish the foolish, repulsive words that you speak. The prosecution may now present their opening statement. Who feels like giving the opening statement? Anybody?"_

* * *

"Turn after turn I was humiliated by those I had considered my friends!" Luna whispered, crossing her arms. "Because though you harp on getting to relax, you know that we do our duty and we are _afraid_. The gods are cowards. We have not known true. Otherwise, we would give our status up.

"That trial, that whole mock trial, it tortured Jake. You couldn't see him from where you were sitting. I was up there, defending him and getting laughed at every turn –"

"I never _ever_ laughed at you, Luna."

"That may be, but did a single person stand up and defend me? No. No one did. Jake had too."

_

* * *

_

Arceus interrupted her in the middle of her conclusion statement gain, openly laughing at her face now. Nervously the rest of the Legendaries joined in. Luna remained at the front of the room, all her vulnerabilities laid out for everyone to see, all her respect taken from her. She was shaking with the force of trying to restrain her sobs.

_Jake had had enough. _

"_Stop laughing!"_

_The room instantly quieted and the Legendaries all stared at the human who had leapt to his feet, in amazement at his daring._

"_You all laugh! Don't you get it? Don't you think she knows what she's doing? You don't think she knows that you've only done this to humiliate her? She knows! She fights for me anyway!" Jake yelled wildly, shoving his way out of his seat to Luna's side._

"_You all sit there, smirking," Jake continued to the stunned gods. "You all suppose that you are so much wiser than she. Are you really? Truly? And what would you do in her situation? In love, and able to be with them? _

"_You all are blind and you don't see it." Jake raged, storming around the courtroom. "You see the pain, you don't see the loneliness. Have you paid attention? Lately she has been so much happier. There is a spring in her step again. It's because she has me, imbeciles. Not by anything any of you have done. _

"_This is her choice. You shoved being the 'dream bringer' on her before she was even created. But now she knows very well what she does and does not want to do with her life. And now, you restrain her from doing so._

"_She is NOT one of you in her heart, no matter what you pretend: why do you keep chains on her wings? It's inevitable that you're going to kill me after this, and I am never gonna see her again. __After this trial, I'm never gonna be able to look down into her eyes and know that I'm loved by the most perfect girl in the world." Jake locked eyes with Luna, and she gazed across the room at him, tears filling her eyes. "And if you kill her too, then GIRATINA DAMN YOU ALL, because she only was following what she believed was right. __She calls me her little savior. She's wrong. She's mine." _

_Jake turned and faced the Legendaries again, a triumphant smile on his face. "They're gonna try to replace me to you, Luna. Maybe shove old Darky over there on you – boy, would that be a laugh, even I can admit it. But you know and I know that they will never reach you. You know and I know that we love each other, and there's nothing they can do. They lost before this trial began. WE have won."_

"_How DARE you?" Arceus finally burst out, the ground shaking with the force of his anger. "How DARE you speak out at this trial –"_

_Jake just continued to grin._

"_Because no matter how much you rage, Arceus, Luna is NOT yours. She has broken free of your power. You're going to kill me now to try and keep your illusion of power over these gods: go ahead and kill me. I 'dare' because _I have won_."_

* * *

Hekiashi licked his dry lips. "How do I not remember this? Because I don't –"

"Because Arceus wiped the minds of every Legendary who attended that trial." Luna said with a sigh, leaning her cheek against her hand. "A riot almost broke out at Jake's words, and Arceus didn't want to lose his control over us. Including you, he instantly made everyone forget Jake's speech."

Hekiashi was left to silently process this.

"Jake was sentenced to be executed the next morning and was locked in the Dungeons of Origin. I couldn't leave Jake there, Hekiashi. The world wouldn't be worth living in without him. He was locked in Groudon's room. Jake accidently woke Groudon up as I was breaking him out, and Groudon set fire to the entire hall."

_

* * *

_

The whole place had erupted into angry flames, and Arceus' angry screams wracked the entire palace. You couldn't see anything but red, and the hungry red flames eagerly spread to anything they could get their hands on. She couldn't see Jake anywhere, and she didn't know what would kill her first – Arceus, or heart failure if he perished in the flames. Luna clutched at her head and screamed.

_"Jake! JAKE!"_

_"Luna -"_

_The blonde haired boy was weaving in and out of the flames. Burns raked up his skin, and yet nothing stopped him from pulling her into his arms._

_"Jake, forget about me, let's just get you out!"_

_Luna tugged out of his arms and the two bolted down the hallways. It was too late now. Everyone would have realized what was going on._

_"LUNA!" bellowed a harsh voice. Jake screamed in pain at the sound, and Luna cringed. I mustn't stop, she thought, pulling him back up to a standing position and slowly helping him continue. "HOW DARE YOU? YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO DISOBEY ME, WHEN ALREADY OUR LAWS CALL FOR YOUR DEATH? YOU WILL BE PUNISHED!"_

_Holding his hand, Luna helped him regain his strength and together the two were running to the end of the Main Hall, running for their lives. Luna released Jake's hand so he could run ahead of her, but hands then suddenly seized her and dragged her away from Jake, and she screamed again._

_"KEEP HER CONTAINED! IT'S HIM I WANT! I WANT HER TO WATCH ME EXECUTE HIM! THE ISOLENCE HAS GONE ON FAR ENOUGH!"_

_Jake stopped at the doorway, looking back as Luna was dragged back by some of the attackers, his face torn and in agony._

_"I can save myself! Run, Jake, RUN!" Luna shrieked, as arms twisted hers to her back and a move slammed into her side, aimed for Jake. She howled in pain, and fell to her knees. As she was losing consciousness, she glimpsed Arceus and Hekiashi chasing after Jake, who had fled through the front doors._

_"JAKE!"_

_With a small whimper of suffering, she shot a Psycho Cut blade, which hit the unsuspecting Arceus in the back. Hekiashi ceased the chase to help his fallen comrade. Luna gave a small smile, and everything went black._

* * *

"Jake escaped that night." Luna finally said. "Arceus could have gone after him, but I had severely injured him that night… and I think he was just tired of it. He agreed that I would not be killed… and Jake would keep his memories. But… but I would have to be the one to say goodbye. That was my punishment. To say to his face that I didn't love him anymore and to watch his life go on without me."

_

* * *

_

It was on that green hill that they came to say goodbye.

_Jake's eyes were filling with tears. "Luna, you can't. You can't be leaving me. After everything we just went through. It can't end here. This can't happen. You know I can't live without you."_

_Luna placed her hands on his shoulders._

"_Jake, you won. You defied Arceus. You won, and this is your prize. You get to live. Be happy for that."_

"_No, this is the worst kind of death." Jake jerked away from her._

_Luna sighed. She was out of tears to cry. "Will anything convince you to go home? Will anything convince you to be happy? That's all I want, Jake. I love you so much. I just want for you to go home and be happy."_

_Jake held her hand._

"_Promise that this isn't goodbye." He begged her, broken. "Promise that I'll get to see you again."_

_Luna's breath caught in her throat._

"_I promise." _

_It was just another, desperate lie. _

* * *

"I never saw Jake again." Luna finished. "Arceus put me on probation, and I wasn't allowed out of the Hall of Origin for ten years. You don't know how angry he got, how his dreams were full of torment. No matter how much he called for me, I could not answer. You don't know how many Cresselia figurines he smashed. Eventually the calling for me stopped. After my decade of punishment, Arceus let me out as if the whole incident had never happened. All of you seemed to have forgotten it so easily. The next time I was in Canalave City, I once looked to see where he was, to see if he was happy. I found a grave instead. He had committed suicide five years from the day I had told him goodbye."

Hekiashi found himself at a loss for words.

Luna rose from her spot on the street and turned away from him, forcing shut her eyes. But she was not forcing back tears. It seemed there were none left. Only now could he see how really tired she was.

"I resumed my duties from then, detached myself from the world, and have not slacked off a day since."

The silence stretched between them again, but Luna did not move, her back to him. Slowly, slowly Hekiashi rose, several times opening his mouth to speak and then simply closing it, unable to express what he was feeling. Finally, he did what he had never done before in his life.

He hugged her.

"Luna."

Her face turned in his direction, acknowledging his presence.

"I'm sorry."

She remained silently for a moment, and then her head leaned back against his chest, and she placed a hand on his arms wrapped around her waist.

"I'm sorry too."

* * *

"_Your friends, ones who love you, offer their support. Remember the bridge. It isn't far from view. It can lead you home again."_

_

* * *

_

_H/P_


	12. Second Date :5:

**A/N: I... have... emerged!**

**This is the most bizarre thing ever. I stopped writing this story, like, end of sophomore year, I think? And now, as a senior, much later, going down memory lane, I found this story, and read the reviews again, and the people asking me to come back and finish... my gosh... how can I even resist?**

**I got some new inspiration for this story... the ending is going to be completely different from what I clearly had in mind for this. The quality and plot are going to be upped from here. No more crackfic time. Get ready.**

**Although excuse any mistakes in this chapter! I'm sure I missed some... R&R :)**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**Yay for Filler! I mean…**

* * *

"_There's somethin' 'bout the way the street looks when it's just rained  
There's a glow off the pavement, you walk me to the car  
And you know I wanna ask you to dance right there  
In the middle of the parking lot, yeah..."_

* * *

She was laughing.

"No, no, no. This is all wrong." Luna stopped in the middle of the music store, doubled over with giggles. The man in the next aisle threw a weird glance, dropped his Taylor Swift album, and walked away. "Archeology?" She managed to repeat incredulously. "No, no. You're supposed to be pulling pranks in your spare time."

Hekiashi shoved his hands in his pocket. "Only a bit!" He insisted, eye twitching. "You've never thought the various ruins are actually kind of fascinating when you get down to it, that's all. The Ruins of Alph – all of the hidden chambers, the Unown, the puzzles. Although I can never quite figure them out, the damn things.

"You know, you could ask Entei for help with the ruins." Luna pointed out.

Hekiashi made a noise of disgust, in part because of what she said and in part because he saw the giant poster of Nick Minaj on the next aisle. "Of course I can't!" He maintained, throwing his hands in the air. "That would ruin all the fun of it. You guys just don't get these things." He shook his head. "The fun isn't in getting it done immediately, it's utilizing your brain and figuring it out."

Luna grinned. This was a new side of him. A new discovery. "Well then. I've never tried it. Maybe I will, sometime, in my free time."

"Like you've let yourself have any free time before."

"Point taken."

But Hekiashi took a deep breath and continued causally. "Well, let's go sometime and try to figure out those puzzles. I'll show you."

Luna gave him a skeptical look. "Really?"

"Meh, probably not."

They continued down the small aisles, pretending to browse as employees walked by, but really, making fun of human tastes in music. "It's weird." Luna thought aloud. "You have like... a double life! You should tell everyone."

Hekiashi snorted at that. "You really think Letmis would ever let me live it down that I might possible resemble the... intellectual type?" He said the words disdainfully.

"Of course not," Luna said thoughtfully, then added a sly, "But at least now I have some leverage on you."

"Try me."

Luna smiled and bent down to grab a CD from a lower shelf. One of the other male lurkers in the store took that opportune moment to pass slowly by, raking his eyes up and down her curves. Irritated, Hekiashi graciously tripped the fellow as he tried to smoothly saunter past and catch her attention.

The boy swore as he hit the crowd. Keeping down his snickers, Hekiashi decided to keep the conversation going, to deny the boy even the comfort of Luna's attention.

"And you?" Luna straightened back up in response, and turned to face him as he asked the question. She raised an eyebrow at his smirk, which he tried to hide. "What are _your _secrets?" He asked dramatically.

"I don't really have any, at this point." She said, growing quiet. Her smile dropped.

He had reminded her of Jake, damn. "Oh, come on, don't get your feathers ruffled." He said quickly, picking up a CD and tossing it from hand to hand. "Well, I know you like to cook, makes you feel more human and motherly, all that jazz. Let me guess... you have a secret, passionate desire to marry Justin Bieber."

Luna gagged. "Excuse me?" She demanded, indignantly, jabbing a finger at him. "How could you even compare him to the likes of Beethoven and Mozart and -"

"Music! There we go. I've found it."

Luna's cheeks turned a light pink, and she muttered something he couldn't understand.

"What?"

"I play the cello." She repeated, covering her blush with her hand.

"You what?" Hekiashi guffawed, clapping his hands.

"I play the cello. Now shush!" She hit him with her shoulder and threw up a hand. "I don't want to talk anymore about it."

"You want something to drink?" Hekiashi granted her wish to change the subject, indicating the small café attatched to the book and music store.

"Why does it feel that we have to endlessly eat when we become humans?" Luna wondered aloud as she began the stroll over.

"Do we really care? It's all just so damn good."

* * *

"_We're driving down the road, I wonder if you know__  
__I'm trying so hard not to get caught up now__  
__But you're just so cool, run your hands through your hair__  
__Absent-mindedly making me want you..."_

* * *

They sat down at florescent red tables and talked. Luna's delicate giggles pealed through the hallway.

They discussed philosophy, the meaning of life, and when they hoped the next good season of Survivor would be coming out. Hekiashi insulted Luna's taste of pink in decorating. Hekiashi bought Luna some fries and thanked his lucky stars that he had thought to steal that guy's wallet before the date. Their hands brushed on the passing. T_hat weird indigestion. Gotta stop eating this human food._

The pair strolled. Luna tried to convince Hekiashi to get a haircut. Hekiashi felt strange when she for the instant that she ran her fingers through his white air. They determined that it took about 508 licks to get to the center of a tootsie pop, and that the airspeed velocity of an unladen Spearow about 25 miles per hour. They agreed that a Pidgey catching a Magikarp out of the water to eat was a better love story than Twilight over a bag of fresh-made chocolate chip cookies. Both discovered that they had a weird penchant for chocolate.

* * *

_"__And I don't know how it gets better than this__  
__You take my hand and drag me headfirst, fearless__  
__And I don't know why but with you I dance__  
__In a storm in my best dress, fearless..."_

* * *

They laughed over Mespirit's antics and tried to get to the bottom of who r_eally_ threw the fridge over the mountain, and who among the legendaries was most annoying. They settled on Hekiashi. He noticed that the conclusion brought that rare, true smile to her face. She had the hint of a dimples on her left cheek.

Her beaming smile pressed on where his heart would most likely be, if he had one. It reminded him. "Luna…." Hekiashi said softly, leaning forward. "Luna, I don't want you to lose this."

Luna paused. Heart leaping in alarm at his sudden seriousness, she slowly placed her hands back in her lap. "Lose what?"

"And there you go and promptly do it." He leaned backwards as he sighed impatiently, rolling his eyes. Smile, damn it."

Luna blinked.

"Should I laugh at what you're saying? Are you being sarcastic?"

"No! Rest assured, no sarcasm. You need to stay like _this_. Smiling." He gestured towards her. She had been relaxed, leaning back. "Smiling. That was the point of this whole outing, remember?"

"Oh yeah." _Oh, that's right. There wasn't any feeling behind it._

He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "It makes you slightly less unpleasant to be around." The silent remained rather awkward, as Luna stared at her hands, trying to figure out whether he had complimented or insulted her. She could never quite tell. Hekiashi continued, lowering his voice and for once being gentle. _I shouldn't be bringing this up. I shouldn't be bringing this up._ "Luna... Have you and Arceus ever discussed what happened back then?"

She knew exactly what he meant by "back then". She shook her head.

Hekiashi saw her discomfort, and reached out for her hand, but then thought better of it and withdrew. "Have you ever discussed what happened back then with anyone? Ever?"

Again, the shake of the head.

"Luna, do you think it might help you to talk to anyone about this?"

A strangled half-laugh erupted from Luna's lips. "What, you think I should go see a counselor?" She asked incredulously, privately wondering if Hekiashi had gone insane.

"No. Not necessarily. Just anyone you need to. Even if it's me."

She blinked in shock. So many strange revelations today. "I… appreciate that." She managed, nodding.

And she was. She felt the rush of gratitude for her counterpart. The ache in her heart seemed less painful, in moments like these. The iron chains tightly wrapping her lungs had lessened. She couldn't pretend that Jake had never existed, but she could imagine that maybe, just maybe, he would be okay with this. He would want her to be happy, wherever that was.

She looked back at Hekiashi, who was staring hard at her while her thoughts were wandering. The intensity of his gaze made her fidget.

"Have you ever… tried to visit him?" He persisted with the questions. "After these, I'm done with the painful stuff, I promise.

"Well, yeah." Luna swallowed painfully as images of a headstone flooded her mind. "I told you." She began rubbing her arms. The tingling sensation kept her in the real world.

"No. I mean have you ever tried to visit him in the Underworld?"

"No. That's forbidden." Luna murmured, surprised at his frankness. She couldn't meet his gaze anymore, so she looked down and began lining up the quarters on the table.

His eyes didn't leave hers.

"Would you like to?"

The conversation was too much. "I need to walk."

* * *

_"So baby drive slow 'til we run out of road_  
_In this one horse town, I wanna stay right here_  
_In this passenger seat, you put your eyes on me_  
_In this moment, now capture it, remember it..."_

* * *

They strolled, and walked out her anxiety. That's when the storm began, a gentle rain pattering against the roof of the mall.

"It's raining." Luna observed calmly, her eyes dancing at the drops falling fast behind the misty windows.

"It is." Hekiashi murmured, puzzled.

Luna silently handed him her bright white coffee cup, not sparing him a glance and she took slow footsteps toward the open doors. She pushed with both hands against the fogged up glass, which swung open just enough for her to slip her thin frame through.

Opening her arms, reaching for the clouds, she stepped out in the rain.

She closed her eyes, reveling in the moment, thinking of nothing, feeling no guilt, no unhappiness - only the simple joy of feeling water droplets roll down the curves of your hands and feeling that you are alive.

_"'Cause I don't know how it gets better than this  
You take my hand and drag me headfirst, fearless..."_

And Hekiashi leaned against the archway of the doors and watched her. Her dress was drenched and her hair was losing its originally perfect curls. But for once, now that the burdens were no longer totally on her shoulders, the wrinkles of worry and fear smoothed from her face, she was actually a little beautiful.

He had a hand in that.

He didn't know whether to be proud or rather disappointed in himself.

_"And I don't know why but with you I'd dance_  
_In a storm in my best dress, fearless..."_

"Hey, Loony," Hekiashi called out to her with a half-laugh. "You're going to get sick, or worse, people are going to release what a lunatic you really are."

She appeared next to him in a flash.

"Was that a pun?" She asked in mocking disappointment. Her pink lips stretched up in a smile.

"The _gravity _of the situation is less than what you think."

She took her coffee from him, a grin and a pun being drawn forth against her will. "It took you a long time to think that one up, didn't it. This is a nightmare." Her laugh was caught short, as her teeth clenched together. The wind begin to blow, raising goosebumps across her skin.

"And you're shivering." Hekiashi pointed out quietly.

Luna glanced down at her arms and shrugged. "I'll be fine. I have a bit of experience being uncomfortable. Just goddess of the moon, had to fight off endless nightmares, and worst of all, spend time with you, y'know."

Hekiashi ignored her words and began sliding off his own black jacket.

Luna gaped at him. "Wait - "

He handed the article of clothing over to her.

"You're not actually doing what I think you're doing."

Hekiashi dug his hands in his pockets and looked at anywhere but her. "Just take it, okay?"

Her round blue eyes stared at him in confusion for a few moments. Her face reddened. "T-Thank you." She whispered, slipping it on her shoulders. It did make her feel better, in an instant. Like he did. His eyes returned, making sure that she put it on, and then met hers.

"_Well, you stood there with me in the doorway  
My hands shake, I'm not usually this way  
But you pull me in and I'm a little more brave…"_

At this close range, Luna noticed his eyes weren't simply blue; in the midst of that intense color they were flecked with green. It was quite a nice color. Quite nice. Nice. She had never really noticed before.

It occurred to Hekiashi that he really shouldn't be staring at her, but found that he couldn't actually bring himself to look away, either.

She couldn't decide what he was thinking – she couldn't even decide what she herself was thinking.

"Luna." He sharply inhaled.

They were close. Too close.

The thunder sounded with a large boom that rang in their ears, both of them glanced upwards, breaking the moment, even as their eyes met again.

Luna stepped backwards, glancing away, drawing the jacket tighter around her. She thought of Jake.

Hekiashi paused,opened his mouth to speak, and found he had no words. He spun abruptly on his heels and walked into the department store nearest to them. A small bookstore.

_"Fearless…"_

Luna wondered why it was that she suddenly felt a sense of loss, disappointment pressing on her lower stomach. It was merely the giddiness, she concluded forcefully. All the happy feelings that had been repressed for so long were simply welling up. Welling up in strange ways. That was all. It would pass. It didn't mean anything.

Until then, she felt that she couldn't stand. Her knees were like a Ditto.

"_Cause I don't know how it gets better than this  
You take my hand and drag me headfirst, fearless  
And I don't know why but with you I'd dance  
In a storm in my best dress, fearless…"_

Luna wrapped the jacket tighter around her, turned, and followed Hekiashi inside.

* * *

**Just a nice way to end the hiatus. Plot ****(Did you know there was one?)****will return next chapter.**

_H/P_


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